Core Insights - Anthropic has launched Claude Sonnet 4.5, claiming it to be the "best programming model in the world," with significant advancements in agent construction, computer usage, reasoning, and mathematical capabilities [1] - The timing of the release is strategic, occurring just before OpenAI's annual developer conference, following OpenAI's recent introduction of GPT-5-Codex [1] - Sonnet 4.5 can maintain over 30 hours of sustained attention on complex, multi-step tasks, setting a new industry standard [1] Performance Metrics - In the SWE-bench Verified test, Claude Sonnet 4.5 achieved the highest industry score, surpassing GPT-5-Codex by 7.5 percentage points [3] - On the OSWorld benchmark for open-ended tasks, Sonnet 4.5 leads with a 61.4% approval rating, up from 42.2% just four months prior [3] Comparative Analysis - Performance comparison shows Sonnet 4.5 excelling in various categories: - Agentic coding: 77.2% [5] - SWE-bench Verified: 82.0% [5] - Computer use OSWorld: 61.4% [5] - Sonnet 4.5 demonstrates superior domain-specific knowledge and reasoning capabilities in finance, law, medicine, and STEM compared to older models [5] Product Enhancements - The update includes user experience improvements such as a "checkpoint" feature for saving progress and a revamped terminal interface [6] - A notable new feature, "Imagine with Claude," allows real-time software generation without pre-written code, showcasing potential future applications [6] Industry Reception - Industry leaders have endorsed Sonnet 4.5, highlighting its excellent coding performance and significant improvements in long-term task handling [7] - The pricing for Sonnet 4.5 remains consistent with its predecessor, offering a cost-effective solution for developers [8] Financial Performance - Anthropic has raised $13 billion in funding, achieving a valuation of $183 billion, making it the fourth most valuable unicorn globally [8] - The company reported an annualized revenue exceeding $5 billion by August 2025, a substantial increase from $1 billion at the beginning of the year [8] Challenges - Despite its advancements, Anthropic faces challenges, including user complaints about a perceived decline in model quality and a subsequent trust crisis among developers [9]