GPT-5: New Features and Big Updates

GPT-5: New Features and Big Updates

OpenAI has released GPT-5, the biggest update yet for ChatGPT, on August 7, 2025. It’s a big step forward in how AI can help us. GPT-5 is smarter, faster, and better at understanding and answering questions. It can work with text, images, and other types of input, all in one place, making conversations smoother and more natural.

This update also improves accuracy, reduces mistakes, and adds stronger safety features. Whether you’re using ChatGPT for fun, learning, work, or business, GPT-5 feels more like talking to a real expert than a chatbot. It’s built to handle complex tasks, connect with tools you use, and give you reliable information.

In this blog, we cover what GPT-5 is, its new features, developer tools, and real-world performance tests. From personalization to coding power, here’s what makes GPT-5 stand out.

What Is GPT-5?

GPT-5 is OpenAI's latest flagship model, and it replaces in its entirety the combination of GPT-4 systems. If you've been using normal options such as GPT-4o, GPT-4o-mini, or o3 in the model picker, those are no more. You no longer need to choose which one to use for speed or quality; the system automatically does that.

When you input a prompt, GPT-5's router resolves in real time whether to return a speedy answer or go through slower, more intensive thought. The aim is to deliver the experience as continuous: one model name, similar behavior, and no hand-switching.

As you can see from the picture above, you can still manually choose GPT-5 Thinking if you prefer the model to spend more time and provide more detailed, step-by-step responses, or GPT-5 Pro when you need maximum depth of reasoning and correctness for research-level work. The only difference is that now they are different variations of one single core model.

Here's how the new family looks compared to the old generation:

Previous model	GPT-5 model
GPT-4o	gpt-5-main
GPT-4o-mini	gpt-5-main-mini
OpenAI o3	gpt-5-thinking
OpenAI o4-mini	gpt-5-thinking-mini
GPT-4.1-nano	gpt-5-thinking-nano
OpenAI o3 Pro	gpt-5-thinking-pro

New Features in GPT-5

GPT-5 comes with several new features that make it faster and smarter. Below is a brief explanation of each feature. 

Chat-Based Features in GPT-5

Here is a list of Chat-Based Features in GPT-5:

Customize Your Chat Colors

You can now choose the colour theme for your ChatGPT interface. It doesn’t affect functionality, but it can make the space feel more like your own. To change it, open Settings → General, then pick your preferred colour scheme.

Switch Conversation Styles

GPT-5 comes with built-in personality presets so you can decide how it interacts with you, whether you want it warm and supportive, direct and professional, or with a touch of dry humor. 

To try it, head to Settings → Personalization → Custom instructions and select your preferred style.
 

Gmail & Google Calendar Connection

For Plus, Pro, Team, and Enterprise users, GPT-5 can connect directly to Gmail and Google Calendar. It can check your schedule, suggest available time slots, and even draft replies to unread emails. To set it up, go to Settings → Connectors, then follow the prompts to link your accounts.

Safe and Useful Responses

Instead of blocking sensitive requests outright, ChatGPT-5 uses a “safe completions” approach, providing as much helpful, risk-free information as possible while clearly stating any limitations. It also reduces the overly agreeable tone seen in older models, making responses feel more genuine.

Developer-Focused Features

GPT-5 introduces new features designed for developers, making it easier to build, integrate, and connect AI applications seamlessly. Here’s a short explanation of each one.

Control Over Reasoning and Length

In the API, you can now adjust how deeply the model thinks using the reasoning_effort parameter, including a minimal mode for quick answers. The verbosity setting controls whether replies are short, medium, or long.

Custom Tools in Plain Text

GPT-5 can call custom tools using plain text instead of JSON, avoiding formatting errors in complex outputs. You can also enforce structured outputs by adding regex rules or a defined grammar.

Better at Long, Multi-Step Workflows

The model can now handle extended chains of actions, both in sequence and in parallel, without losing track of the task, making it far more capable in agent-style scenarios.

Improved Front-End Code Generation

In tests, GPT-5 produced cleaner and more visually appealing interfaces than OpenAI’s o3 model in 70% of cases, with better layouts, typography, and spacing.

Extended Context, Fewer Errors

The API supports a combined 400K-token input/output limit. It can search and retrieve information more accurately from large datasets while significantly reducing incorrect factual claims.

Conclusion

The new chat-oriented features, such as personalities, colorization, and Gmail/Calendar integration make ChatGPT more personal and helpful for everyday workflows. On the developer side, more control over reasoning, verbosity, and tool formats, and improved performance with long-running tasks, are much-appreciated quality-of-life improvements. 

On testing, GPT-5 performed well with simple reasoning and coding tasks, even cranking out the best initial version of a game I have seen from any model to date. But its multimodal long-context performance remained wanting, with Pro-tier assets not delivering on hype.

For the average user, GPT-5 will be the most convenient and powerful AI system out there right now. Just don't expect it to shatter the confines of what's achievable today. It is an evolution, not a revolution, and that may be precisely what you're looking for depending on your requirements.

At WOWinfotech, we stay ahead of these trends to help you create smarter, more efficient solutions using the latest in tech innovation. If you're ready to turn your ideas into intelligent digital experiences, let’s build something great together.

Visit WOWinfotech to learn more about how we can help you grow with the power of technology.

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