In a rapidly escalating AI arms race, OpenAI has launched GPT-5.2 on December 11, 2025, positioning it as a direct competitor to Google’s Gemini 3, which debuted on November 18, 2025. The timing is strategic—coming just weeks after Gemini 3 stunned the AI community with its capabilities—and represents OpenAI’s “code red” response to Google’s advances.
Benchmark showdown: coding performance analysis
The SWE-Bench benchmarks reveal a nuanced picture of coding capabilities. On SWE-Bench Verified, GPT-5.2 Thinking scores 80.0%, slightly edging out Gemini 3 Pro’s 76.2%. However, the more challenging SWE-Bench Pro benchmark—which tests across four programming languages rather than just Python—shows GPT-5.2 achieving a new state-of-the-art of 55.6%, demonstrating superior multi-language software engineering capabilities.
Long-context capabilities: different approaches
The models take divergent approaches to context handling. GPT-5.2 Thinking features a 400K token context window with near-perfect recall on MRCRv2 benchmarks, achieving 98% accuracy on 4-needle tests. Gemini 3 Pro supports up to 1M tokens but shows 77% performance on the same 8-needle test at 128K tokens. OpenAI’s approach emphasizes reliability within a large-but-manageable window, while Google pushes the boundaries of sheer context size.
API pricing: cost considerations for developers
Pricing reveals strategic positioning. GPT-5.2 costs $1.75 per million input tokens and $14 per million output tokens, representing a premium over previous models. Gemini 3 Pro uses tiered pricing: $2.00/$12.00 per million tokens for contexts under 200K tokens, increasing to $4.00/$18.00 for larger contexts. The pricing reflects OpenAI’s confidence in GPT-5.2’s superior token efficiency, despite higher per-token costs.
| Model | Input Price (per 1M tokens) | Output Price (per 1M tokens) | Context Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.2 | $1.75 | $14.00 | 400K tokens |
| Gemini 3 Pro | $2.00/$4.00* | $12.00/$18.00* | 1M tokens |
*Tiered pricing based on context size
Real-world implications for developers
For professional developers, GPT-5.2’s improved performance on GDPval—where it beats or ties industry professionals on 70.9% of knowledge work tasks—suggests stronger real-world utility for complex workflows. Gemini 3 excels in “vibe coding” and front-end development, particularly for complex UI work involving 3D elements. Early adopters report Gemini 3 showing “more than 50% improvement over Gemini 2.5 Pro” in developer tools.
Strategic positioning and future implications
The rapid succession of releases signals intensifying competition. OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 launch appears strategically timed to counter Gemini 3’s momentum, with both companies targeting the lucrative developer tools market. GitHub Copilot has already integrated GPT-5.2, while Google’s Gemini Code Assist features Gemini 3 integration. The battle for AI supremacy in coding tools is accelerating, with developers positioned to benefit from rapid innovation.
As both models roll out across their respective ecosystems, developers face a choice between GPT-5.2’s proven coding reliability and Gemini 3’s innovative “vibe coding” approach. The competition promises to drive further improvements in AI-assisted development throughout 2026.
