Google's new image model Nano Banana 2.1 generates better images for less money

Google released Nano Banana 2.1, an image generation and editing model that replaces Nano Banana 2 and cuts API prices roughly in half, with a 1K image costing 3.36 cents (down from 6.70 cents) and a 4K image dropping from 15.10 to 7.56 cents. Google says the model improves visual quality, text rendering, character consistency, wide panoramas, and infographics, processes up to 14 reference images while keeping four characters and ten objects consistent, and runs on Gemini 3.6 Flash at Flash-tier speed with 1K, 2K, and 4K resolutions. Nano Banana 2.1 is rolling out across the Gemini app, AI Mode in Google Search, Google AI Studio, Flow, Stitch, Google Ads, and the Gemini Enterprise Platform, and Google will shut down the previous gemini-3.1-flash-image model on October 29, 2026.

Google's new image model Nano Banana 2.1 generates better images for less money Google has released Nano Banana 2.1, a new model for image generation and editing. It replaces Nano Banana 2 https://the-decoder.com/googles-nano-banana-2-brings-pro-level-image-generation-to-flash-speeds-at-up-to-40-lower-api-cost/ , released in February 2026, and Google says https://x.com/Google/status/2107501211532382687 it improves on previous versions "across the board." Nano Banana Pro likely remains Google's best image model, but it uses the most recent Pro model, 3.1, while 2.1 uses Gemini 3.6 Flash https://deepmind.google/models/model-cards/nano-banana-2-1/ . The next major gain in image quality could come with Google's announced Pro model, Gemini 4 Argon https://the-decoder.com/google-gemini-4-argon-closes-the-gap-with-openai-and-anthropic-but-doesnt-take-a-clear-lead/ . Google is also cutting prices roughly in half https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing gemini-3.1-flash-image compared with Nano Banana 2. A 1K image costs 3.36 cents, down from 6.70 cents, while a 4K image drops from 15.10 to 7.56 cents. Nano Banana Pro costs considerably more at 13.40 cents per 1K image. | Model | 0.5K | 1K | 2K | 4K | |---|---|---|---|---| | Nano Banana 2.1 | - | 3.36 | 5.04 | 7.56 | | Nano Banana 2 / Gemini 3.1 Flash Image | 4.50 | 6.70 | 10.10 | 15.10 | | Nano Banana 2 Lite / Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image | - | 3.36 | - | - | | Nano Banana Pro / Gemini 3 Pro Image | - | 13.40 | 13.40 | 24.00 | | Nano Banana / Gemini 2.5 Flash Image | - | 3.90 | - | - | According to Google https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/image-generation?hl=en , version 2.1 improves visual quality, text rendering, character consistency across conversation turns, wide panoramas, and infographics. It can process up to 14 reference images at once, keeping up to four characters and ten objects consistent. The model also connects to Google Search and offers minimal, medium, and high thinking levels that affect image quality. Although 2.1 sometimes beats Pro by a wide margin in benchmarks, Nano Banana 2 also matched it in those tests. In practice, Nano Banana Pro often still produces noticeably better images. Google describes 2.1 https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models/gemini-nano-banana-2.1 as "the more efficient counterpart" to Pro. | Benchmark | Nano Banana 2.1 Thinking | Nano Banana 2.1 No Thinking | Gemini 3.1 Flash Image | Gemini 3 Pro Image | |---|---|---|---|---| | Text-to-Image | | | | | | Overall Preference | 1050 ± 14 | 1015 ± 13 | 990 ± 7 | 935 ± 8 | | Infographic Design | 1048 ± 17 | 1001 ± 17 | 961 ± 12 | 912 ± 12 | | Infographic Accuracy | 0.521 | 0.328 | 0.179 | 0.265 | | Editing | | | | | | General Editing | 1026 ± 12 | 980 ± 15 | 938 ± 11 | 939 ± 10 | | Single-Character Consistency | 1028 ± 14 | 1021 ± 14 | 981 ± 10 | 991 ± 9 | | Multi-Character Consistency | 1106 ± 14 | 1068 ± 14 | 978 ± 10 | 1011 ± 10 | | Mask/Ink-Based Editing | 1049 ± 15 | 1042 ± 16 | 965 ± 12 | 927 ± 12 | | Product Consistency | 1024 ± 18 | 981 ± 18 | 955 ± 22 | 965 ± 14 | | Stylization | 1062 ± 20 | 1036 ± 17 | 991 ± 12 | 990 ± 12 | | Multi-Reference Editing | 1066 ± 22 | 1041 ± 20 | 988 ± 13 | 989 ± 12 | The model runs at Flash-tier speed, supports 1K, 2K, and 4K resolutions, and is already rolling out across Google's products. These include the Gemini app, AI Mode in Google Search, Google AI Studio, Flow by Google, Stitch by Google, Google Ads, and the Gemini Enterprise Platform. More details are available in the model card https://deepmind.google/models/model-cards/nano-banana-2-1/ . Google will shut down the previous model https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/deprecations , "gemini-3.1-flash-image," on October 29, 2026. AI News Without the Hype – Curated by Humans Subscribe to THE DECODER for ad-free reading, a weekly AI newsletter, our exclusive "AI Radar" frontier report six times a year, full archive access, and access to our comment section. Subscribe now