[herpderperator]

Serious question: If it's an improved 2.5 model, why don't they call it version 2.6? Seems annoying to have to remember if you're using the old 2.5 or the new 2.5. Kind of like when Apple released the third-gen iPad many years ago and simply called it the "new iPad" without a number.

[skerit]

That's why people called the second version of Sonnet v3.5 simply v3.6, and Anthropic acknowledged that by naming the next version v3.7

[Aeolun]

Only Anthropic has a slightly understandable version scheme.

[alwillis]

It's pretty common to refer to models by the month and year they were released.

For example, the latest Gemini 2.5 Flash is known as "google/gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025" [1].

[1]: https://openrouter.ai/google/gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-202...

[cpeterso]

If they're going to include the month and year as part of the version number, they should at least use big endian dates like gemini-2.5-flash-preview-2025-09 instead of 09-2025.

[herpderperator]

Or, you know, just Gemini 2.6 Flash. I don't recall the 2.5 version having a date associated with it when it came out, though maybe they are using dates now. In marketing, at least, it's always known as Gemini 2.5 Flash/Pro.

[Thorrez]

>For example, the latest Gemini 2.5 Flash is known as "google/gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025" [1].

That "example" is the name used in the article under discussion. There's no need to link to openrouter.ai to find the name.

[relatedtitle]

I'm pretty sure Google just does that for preview models and they drop the date from the name when it's released.

[someguyiguess]

If only there was some of versioning nomenclature they could use. Maybe even one that is … semantic? Oh how I wish someone would introduce something like this to the software engineering field. /s

In all seriousness though, their version system is awful.

[qafy]

2.5 is not the version number, it's the generation of the underlying model architecture. Think of it like the trim level on a Mazda 3 hatchback. Mazda already has the Mazda 3 Sport in their lineup, then later they release the Mazda 3 Turbo which is much faster. When they release this new version of the vehicle its not called the Mazda 4... that would be an entirely different vehicle based on a new platform and powertrain etc (if it existed). The new vehicle is just a new trim level / visual refresh of the existing Mazda 3.

That's why Google names it like this, but I agree its dumb. Semver would be easier.

[someguyiguess]

I’d say it’s more like naming your Operating System off of the kernel version number.

[pests]

Gonna steal this to help explain to non tech friends when it comes up again.

[JumpCrisscross]

Maybe they’re signalling it’s more of a bug fix?

[manquer]

2.5.1 then .

semantic versioning works for most scenarios.

[cubefox]

That would be even more confusing because then it is unclear whether 2.6 Flash is better than 2.5 Pro.

[hahn-kev]

Is a 2024 Mac boo pro better than a 2025 Mac book?