# Google Gemini 4 Argon closes the gap with OpenAI and Anthropic but doesn't take a clear lead > Source: > Published: 2026-09-30 22:06:30+00:00 # Google Gemini 4 Argon closes the gap with OpenAI and Anthropic but doesn't take a clear lead By Matthias BastianSource: [The Decoder](https://the-decoder.com) [Gemini](https://www.machinebrief.com/glossary/gemini) 4 Argon is Google's first frontier model in over seven months. It matches [GPT](https://www.machinebrief.com/glossary/gpt)-6 Astra in independent testing but can't keep up with [Anthropic](https://www.machinebrief.com/glossary/anthropic)'s [Claude](https://www.machinebrief.com/glossary/claude) Opus 5.5. The per-[token](https://www.machinebrief.com/glossary/token) price is low, but Argon burns through more than twice as many tokens per task as Astra. Select testers get access first, with the API and paid tiers following later. The article [Google Gemini 4 Argon closes the gap with OpenAI and Anthropic but doesn't take a clear lead](https://the-decoder.com/google-gemini-4-argon-closes-the-gap-with-openai-and-anthropic-but-doesnt-take-a-clear-lead/) appeared first on [The Decoder](https://the-decoder.com). Get AI news in your inbox Daily digest of what matters in AI.