Announcing MCP Toolbox Java SDK v1.0: Agentic data access for the enterprise
cloud.google.com·6d ago
Cloud & Infrastructure
The New Stack·20d ago·5 min read
Anthropic releases Opus 5.5 and cuts pricing by 20%. Your agent calls might secretly get routed to an older model.
TL;DR
Anthropic has launched Claude Opus 5.5, a new AI model, while reducing its pricing by 20% to $4 per call. However, some calls may still be routed to older model versions.
✦ Why It Matters
Evaluate your current AI usage to determine if switching to Claude Opus 5.5 can reduce costs.
Key Takeaways
- Consider switching to Opus 5.5 for cost-effective coding solutions.
- Run your own evaluations to assess Opus 5.5's performance for your needs.
- Be aware of potential model routing affecting task consistency.
- Utilize the new pricing structure to maximize your usage limits.
Full Summary
Opus 5.5, the latest model from Anthropic, is now available at a reduced cost of $4 per million input tokens and $20 per million output tokens, representing a 20% price cut from its predecessor, Opus 5. This new model is designed to be more efficient, using fewer tokens and completing tasks over 30% faster.
In benchmark tests, Opus 5.5 outperformed Fable 5.1 in several coding tasks, achieving scores of 66.4% on Terminal-Bench 4.0 and 54.4% on FrontierCode. Early enterprise evaluations indicate that Opus 5.5 requires about a third as many tokens as Opus 5 while producing less verbose yet accurate outputs.
However, requests may be rerouted to older models for safety reasons, which could affect consistency in multi-turn workflows. Overall, the combination of lower costs and improved efficiency positions Opus 5.5 as a strong contender in the AI coding space.