Google opens Gemini 4 Argon to paying users worldwide
Under two weeks after introducing it, Google has widened access to Gemini 4 Argon from test partners to subscribers, developers and companies.
The answer
Google made Gemini 4 Argon available to paying users and developers worldwide on 14 October.
What happened: Google opened Gemini 4 Argon to paying users worldwide on 14 October, just under two weeks after introducing it, heise online reported. Until now, only selected test partners had access. Other outlets date the rollout to 13 October. The introduction date was not independently checked.
Who's affected: Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers get Argon in the Gemini app and in Google Search's AI mode. Developers pay for it through the Gemini API in AI Studio. Companies get it via Google Cloud. Ultra subscribers also get it in Antigravity.
The numbers: API prices start at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens. Cached input tokens cost 95% less. The context window is one million tokens in total, covering input, internal calculations and output.
The context: Up to 10,000 selected scientists can use Antigravity's highest usage tier free for six months. They must apply.
The rivals: On the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, Argon scores 53 at its highest reasoning tier. Claude Opus 5.5 (Max) leads with 58. Claude Sonnet 5.5 (Max) and Meta's Muse Wonder Full (Max) each score 56.
The details: On AutomationBench-AA, Argon met 78% of task goals without rule violations. Claude Opus 5.5 (Max) managed 70% and Gemini 3.8 Flash (High) 60%. On AA-Omniscience, Argon answered 50% correctly and was clearly wrong on only 15% of the remainder, often giving no or partial answers. Artificial Analysis calls its hallucination rate comparatively low.
The catch: The prices are introductory and double from 1 December. The average cost per Intelligence Index task is $1.99 at current prices, about $3.98 without the discount.
In their words: Artificial Analysis said: "The comparatively low costs are primarily due to the temporarily favorable token prices"
Why it matters: Argon moves from a closed test to general paid access across Google's consumer, developer and enterprise products. It trails Anthropic's top model on the headline index but leads both Claude models on the automation benchmark.
What's next: API prices double on 1 December. Scientists who want free Antigravity access need to apply.
Sources
- Gemini 4 Argon: Google opens top model to paying users — heise online, 14 October 2026