Google Releases Gemini 4 Hydrogen, a Cheaper Model It Says Beats Gemini 4 Argon

Google released Gemini 4 Hydrogen, a lower-cost model in its Gemini 4 family. Google says it scored 51 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index at its default high thinking level, one point above the frontier Gemini 4 Argon at 50. The benchmark claim comes from Google and has not been independently verified in the report.

Why it matters: If the benchmark claim holds, developers may be able to get frontier-level reasoning at lower cost by choosing Hydrogen over the flagship Argon model, which changes model selection and budgeting decisions.