Claude 5 Release Date Tracker
Claude Sonnet 5 (codename "Fennec") may launch any day now. Claude 5 (full Opus-class) is expected Q2-Q3 2026. Track the latest Claude 5 news, leaks, and compare with current leaders: Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5.1, and Gemini 3 Pro
When is Claude 5 coming out? Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 5 (Fennec) has been leaked and could launch as early as February 2026. The full Claude 5 (Opus-class) release is predicted for mid-2026. Get Claude 5 news, Claude 5 features, Claude Sonnet 5 release date updates, and Claude 5 rumors all in one place.
Claude Sonnet 4.5 Released! Claude 5 Coming Soon
Estimated Claude 5 (Full Opus) Launch Window:
Q2-Q3 2026 (Estimated)
Timeline based on historical Anthropic release cadence. Claude Sonnet 5 (Fennec) may launch significantly earlier.
While waiting for Claude 5, explore today's AI tools:
Latest Claude 5 News & Analysis
Claude 5 FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Claude 5, Claude Sonnet 5 Fennec, release dates, features, and pricing.
When is Claude 5 coming out?
Claude Sonnet 5 (codenamed 'Fennec') was leaked in early February 2026 via Vertex AI error logs, with model ID claude-sonnet-5@20260203, suggesting an imminent release. The full Claude 5 (Opus-class model) is expected Q2-Q3 2026 based on Anthropic's historical release cadence. Claude Sonnet 4.5 was released in September 2025.
What is Claude Sonnet 5 Fennec?
'Fennec' is the leaked internal codename for Claude Sonnet 5. It was discovered in Vertex AI deployment logs in February 2026. Leaked benchmarks suggest it achieves 80.9%+ on SWE-bench Verified (surpassing Opus 4.5's 77.2%) at roughly 50% cheaper pricing. It appears optimized for Google Cloud TPU infrastructure.
How will Claude 5 compare to GPT-5?
Based on current trajectories, Claude 5 is expected to be a strong competitor to GPT-5. Claude Sonnet 4.5 already leads with 77.2% SWE-bench Verified vs GPT-5.1's 76.3%. The leaked Sonnet 5 'Fennec' benchmarks suggest 80.9%+ SWE-bench, which would be a significant leap. Claude 5 (full Opus-class) is expected to push even further ahead in coding, reasoning, and safety benchmarks.
What features will Claude 5 have?
Expected Claude 5 features include: dramatically improved coding ability (80%+ SWE-bench), expanded context window (128K+ tokens), enhanced multi-modal capabilities for vision and document analysis, improved agentic tool use and computer use, better long-form reasoning, and advanced safety features through Constitutional AI. Pricing is expected to be competitive with current Opus 4.5 rates.
Is Claude 5 the same as Claude Sonnet 5?
No. Anthropic uses a tiered model system: Haiku (fast/cheap), Sonnet (balanced), and Opus (most capable). 'Claude Sonnet 5' (leaked codename Fennec) is the mid-tier model expected first. 'Claude 5' typically refers to the full Opus-class model, which is the most powerful and will likely release later in Q2-Q3 2026. Sonnet 5 may launch weeks or months before the full Claude 5 Opus.
How much will Claude 5 cost?
Leaked information suggests Claude Sonnet 5 (Fennec) will be approximately 50% cheaper than Opus 4.5, making it an extremely compelling option for developers. Current Claude Opus 4.5 pricing is $15/M input tokens and $75/M output tokens. Claude Sonnet 4.5 is $3/$15. Claude 5 Opus pricing is not yet known but is expected to be competitive given market pressure from GPT-5.1 and Gemini 3.
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