OpenAI's o3-mini: Is it worth trying as a developer?

As with any developer tool, each LLM has its strengths and weaknesses, and we have to make tradeoffs when deciding which tool to use.

But what if you didn't have to make many compromises?

Imagine an LLM that can:

• Help solve complex math problems

• Write flawless code

• Reason through technical challenges

....all at lightning speed and a fraction of the cost.

OpenAI o3-mini is attempting to check off all these boxes. o3-mini is the latest reasoning model in OpenAI’s lineup. Released on January 31, 2025, it's already proved its strength for coding, STEM, and beyond— and is a competitive response to DeepSeek's R1.

So, is the 03-mini worth trying—or is it just hype?