How to assess Anthropic Haiku 4.5 small model performance

TL;DR

Haiku 4.5 is a cheaper, faster small model from Anthropic that rivals Sonnet 4. It improves speed and cost efficiency while maintaining coding performance, making it a competitive option for day-to-day tasks. Pricing has shifted to a $1 out rate, with earlier cheaper tiers noted in historical context.

Transcript

Anthropic just dropped a new model and for once it's not a super expensive one. Yes, really. We finally have a new cheap model for the first time in years. Anthropic just dropped Haiku 4.5, skipping 4.0 and 3.5 and every other version between 3 and now. This is the first update to an Enthropic small model since March of 2024. It's been over a year ... Read More

Key Insights

• Haiku 4.5 is a new affordable Anthropic model release that targets small, fast deployments.
• Haiku 4.5 claims faster throughput than many rivals, with observed TPS around 150 in testing contexts.
• The price guidance shows a shift from 80 cents per mill in to $1 out, marking a price increase.
• Haiku 4.5 is positioned as competitive with Sonnet 4 and near Claude 5 codecs in capability, according to the evaluation.
• There is emphasis on coding performance, with Haiku 4.5 described as strong for coding and Cloud Code workflows.
• The video notes that pricing and throughput make Haiku 4.5 a strategic response to GLM 4.6 and related models.
• The speaker highlights that Haiku 4.5 may not be the strongest overall intelligence metric, but excels in speed and cost for specific tasks.
• External benchmarks referenced include Artificial Analysis cost to run the intelligence benchmark index and comparisons to Gemini 2 Flash and GPT5 speeds.

Questions & Answers

Q: How to compare Haiku 4.5 speed to GPT5 in coding tasks?

Haiku 4.5 is described as significantly faster than GPT5 in coding tasks, with throughput figures suggesting much higher token processing per second in practical tests. The model is praised for its combination of high speed and reasonable intelligence, making it a strong option for real time coding workflows and rapid prototyping.

Q: What is the price change from Haiku 4.0 to Haiku 4.5 and why does it matter?

The discussion notes a pricing shift from earlier Haiku or related models with lower per million output costs to a $1 out rate for Haiku 4.5. This matters because it affects the total cost of running coding workloads at scale, influencing decisions for teams prioritizing speed and cost efficiency.

Q: How does Haiku 4.5 compare to Sonnet 4.5 in terms of coding performance and price?

Haiku 4.5 is positioned as offering similar levels of coding performance to Sonnet 4.5 but at a lower price and with higher speed. The comparison suggests Haiku 4.5 provides a cost advantage while maintaining competitive coding capabilities, making it attractive for developers needing fast coding assistance.

Q: What are the main market implications of Haiku 4.5 for small models?

Haiku 4.5 reflects a market shift toward smaller, faster, and cheaper models. Its release signals that demand for efficient, cost effective AI solutions is rising, potentially pressuring larger models to compete on price and latency and encouraging broader adoption of small model deployments for everyday tasks.

Q: What are observed throughput numbers for Haiku 4.5 according to the video?

According to the presenter, Haiku 4.5 achieves throughput that places it around 150 tokens per second in testing contexts, which is contrasted with other models that attain lower TPS figures. This performance metric illustrates the speed advantage claimed for Haiku 4.5 in practical use.

Q: Which models are used as benchmarks or references alongside Haiku 4.5 in the video?

The video references Sonnet 4, Sonnet 4.5, Claude 5 codecs, and GLM 4.6 as benchmarks to compare Haiku 4.5 against. These comparisons help position Haiku 4.5 in relation to existing competitive offerings across speed, cost, and coding capabilities.

Q: What does the video say about Haiku 4.5’s focus and strengths?

The video suggests that Haiku 4.5 focuses on coding performance and real time coding related workloads, with strong speed advantages for tasks such as Cloud Code use. While not claiming superiority across all intelligence metrics, the model is highlighted for its fast, practical coding capabilities and overall value.

Q: What sponsorship and external sources are mentioned in the video for Haiku 4.5 information?

The sponsor Deep Depot is mentioned with a link for improving CI and build times, and external sources include Simon Willison and Artificial Analysis. These references provide additional context and third party validation for the presented performance and pricing claims around Haiku 4.5.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Haiku 4.5 is presented as a cheaper and faster small model from Anthropic, positioning it against rivals like Sonnet 4. The discussion emphasizes speed, coding performance, and pricing as key differentiators, with explicit comparisons to other models and previous Haiku versions.

• The video evaluates Haiku 4.5 against various models in terms of throughput (TPS) and cost, highlighting its advantage in coding tasks and its potential market impact for developers seeking faster, cheaper AI helpers.

• The presenter mentions official and third party sources to support the claims about Haiku 4.5, including references to price points, speed metrics, and observed performance in coding scenarios, while noting elements of market shift toward small, affordable models.