Google releases Nano Banana 2.1 in Gemini API with halved image pricing
Google DeepMind has released Nano Banana 2.1 into general availability within the Gemini API. The new image model halves the token price for image generation and outperforms Nano Banana Pro in evaluations.
What happened?
Google DeepMind has officially released Nano Banana 2.1 (gemini-nano-banana-2.1) into general availability (GA). The model is based on Gemini 3.6 Flash and is being rolled out across services including the Gemini app, AI Studio, Search AI Mode, Flow, Stitch, Google Ads, and the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. The price for image generation has been halved to 30 USD per 1 million tokens compared to Nano Banana 2 (60 USD per 1M tokens), which equates to 0.0336 USD for a 1K image and 0.0504 USD for a 2K image.
Key facts
| Lanseringsdatum | 6 oktober 2026 |
|---|---|
| Modellnamn i API | gemini-nano-banana-2.1 |
| Pris per 1M tokens | 30 USD (tidigare 60 USD) |
| Elo-poäng (human eval) | 1050 (Nano Banana Pro: 935) |
Why it matters
According to the model card, Nano Banana 2.1 reaches a text-to-image Elo score of 1050 in human evaluations. This places the model ahead of both Nano Banana 2 (990) and the previous top model, Nano Banana Pro (935), offering higher quality at a significantly lower operational cost.
Who is affected?
The release affects developers building applications with the Gemini API as well as companies using Google's marketing and agent platforms. Users of Google's consumer services, such as the Gemini app and Search AI Mode, are also directly impacted by the new image model.
Impact on the EU
The model is generally available (GA) globally via the Gemini API, Google AI Studio, and compliant platforms, making it directly available to developers and companies within the EU.
What else you should know
The launch follows Google's earlier introduction of the Gemini 3.6 Flash architecture, which serves as the foundation for the new Banana version.
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