Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.
Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics.
Sign in to your XDA account
Summary
- Gemini 4 Argon is now generally available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
- Gemini chats with less repetition, fewer clichés, and less hedging for smoother reasoning.
- Code generation improved; switching between chat and code is smoother in the UI.
A little while ago, Google kept up with the LLM race by releasing Gemini 4 Argon. It's powerful—so much so, in fact, that nobody but a few trusted people could actually use it. However, at the time, Google said it was working hard to ensure that Argon would be safe in the hands of the public without being jailbroken and used for nefarious deeds.
Well, that day has finally come, as Google has given the go-ahead for the general release of Gemini 4 Argon. If you're a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscriber, you can hop in and start using it right now.
Gemini 4 Argon arrives on the Google AI Pro and Ultra plans
How will it fare versus the competition?
As announced on the News from Google blog, subscribers to the upper tiers of Google's AI plans can now give Gemini 4 Argon a spin. By the looks of the announcement, Google is focusing on two key areas with this new model of Gemini. First, Google reports that Gemini is a lot better during chat, as it won't repeat itself, use clichés, or resort to hedging. It always felt like Google wanted Gemini to be something people can chat and reason with, so it's no surprise to see that here.
However, we're also seeing some tweaks to Gemini's code workflow. Not only does it supposedly code better now, but it's also easier to swap between chatting and coding. We've seen tweaks like this in other LLMs such as Claude, so it seems that AI companies believe that merging work and play into one UI is the key to user retention.
So, how does Gemini 4 Argon measure up to the competition? Well, we don't have much to go on beyond some numbers Google posted in its Argon announcement, so it's way too early to say for sure. Keep an eye on those benchmarks and maybe give it a spin for yourself to see how it fares against the very heated, very skilled competition.