Claude 4 by Anthropic: Features, Capabilities, and Why It Matters in 2025
- Philip Moses
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
Anthropic has just launched Claude 4, its most advanced AI model yet, with two powerful versions—Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4. This isn’t just another AI upgrade; it’s a game-changer in reasoning, coding, and AI agent capabilities.
In this blog, we’ll explore:
✅ What makes Claude 4 special—its key features and improvements.
✅ How it compares to rivals like GPT-4o and Gemini 1.5.
Let’s dive in!
Meet Claude 4: Two Models, One Powerful AI Family
Anthropic’s Claude 4 comes in two versions, each designed for different needs:
1. Claude Opus 4 – The Smartest AI for Complex Tasks
Best for: Advanced coding, deep research, and long-running AI agents.
Strengths:
Superior reasoning—handles thousands of steps without losing focus.
200K token memory—understands long documents and conversations.
Great for coding—can refactor entire codebases or build apps from scratch.
Limitations:
Not great at recognizing faces in images.
Can struggle with precise spatial tasks (like reading a clock).
2. Claude Sonnet 4 – Fast & Efficient for Everyday AI
Best for: Customer support, content creation, and business automation.
Strengths:
Faster & cheaper than Opus 4 but still highly capable.
64K max output—better for long-form content and reports.
Strong in coding—helps with debugging, maintenance, and refactoring.
Revolutionary Features: What’s New in Claude 4?
Claude 4 isn’t just smarter—it’s built for real-world AI assistants. Here’s how:
🔹 Extended Thinking Mode
Claude 4 can take more time to reason before answering, making complex problem-solving better.
🔹 Persistent Memory
Remembers details across sessions, perfect for long projects like coding or research.
🔹 Code Execution Tool
Runs Python code in a sandbox—great for data analysis, financial modeling, and automation.
🔹 File Management (Files API Beta)
Upload and manage files (up to 500MB) directly with Claude, making document processing easier.
🔹 Prompt Caching (Save Costs!)
Reuses parts of prompts to cut costs by up to 90% for repetitive tasks.
How Does Claude 4 Compare to GPT-4o & Gemini 1.5?
Model | Best At | Coding (SWE-bench) | Reasoning (GPQA) | Context Window | Multimodal? |
| Advanced coding, deep reasoning | 72.5% | 83.3% | 200K tokens | ❌ (Text only) |
| Business automation, content | 72.7% | 83.8% | 200K tokens | ❌ (Text only) |
| General intelligence, multimodal tasks | 54.6% | 66.3% | 1M tokens | ✅ (Text, images, audio, video) |
| Ultra-long docs, video/audio analysis | ~65-68% | 83.0% | Up to 10M tokens | ✅ (Text, images, audio, video) |
Key Takeaways:
✔ Claude 4’s Strengths:
Best for coding (highest SWE-bench scores).
Strong in reasoning (top-tier GPQA performance).
200K context (good for long docs, but not the longest).
✔ GPT-4o’s Advantages:
Best overall general intelligence (strongest in most benchmarks).
Multimodal leader (handles text, images, audio, and video).
1M token context (better than Claude for very long documents).
✔ Gemini 1.5’s Edge:
Unmatched long-context (10M tokens)—ideal for books, research papers, or hours of video/audio.
Strong multimodal support (better than Claude, competitive with GPT-4o).
Which AI Should You Choose?
For coding & deep reasoning? → Claude Opus 4
For general tasks & multimodal? → GPT-4o
For ultra-long documents? → Gemini 1.5 Pro
Conclusion
✅ Pick Claude 4 if:
You need top-tier coding & reasoning (Opus 4 excels here).
You prioritize AI safety & reliability (Constitutional AI).
You work with 200K token documents (but not beyond).
✅ Pick GPT-4o if:
You want the most versatile AI (text + images + audio + video).
You need strong general performance across many tasks.
✅ Pick Gemini 1.5 if:
You analyze books, research papers, or hours of video/audio (10M tokens!).
You want long-context + solid multimodal support.
Final Word
Claude 4 is a leader in coding and reasoning, but not an all-around winner—GPT-4o and Gemini 1.5 still dominate in other areas. The best AI depends on your specific needs.
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