Nano Banana 2.1 improves iterative editing and roughly halves 1K/2K image-output prices
Google’s updated image model improves typography and multi-turn consistency. 1K/2K image-output prices roughly halve, while input costs triple. Its predecessor is deprecated without a current shutdown date.
Google made Nano Banana 2.1 generally available in the Gemini API on October 6, updating Nano Banana 2 for image generation and conversational editing. Google reports better realism, prompt following, typography and character consistency across multiple edits, plus fixes for tiling artifacts in 2K/4K panoramic images. It offers 1K, 2K and 4K output and retains support for up to 14 reference images, covering up to four characters and ten objects. Google Web and Image Search can ground generations.
The cost changes differ by component. Current standard Gemini API image-output prices are $0.0336 at 1K and $0.0504 at 2K, about half the previous model’s rates. At 4K, about $0.113 is roughly 25% below the previous $0.151. Input rises from $0.50 to $1.50 per million tokens; text and thinking output costs $7.50 per million tokens. These image prices exclude input, thinking and possible search charges, so an editing job’s total cost need not halve. Batch image-output rates are half the standard rates, and the Nano Banana 2.1 API has no free tier.
The quality gains are primarily supported by Google’s own evaluations. Its model card reports overall preference scores of 1050±14 for the thinking-enabled update and 990±7 for its predecessor in side-by-side human comparisons. These are not accuracy percentages or our independent tests. Google still lists problems with small type, long paragraphs, character consistency, left/right relationships and complex edits. Thinking defaults to medium, with minimal and high options; generated text and factual content still need checking.
Developers can use gemini-nano-banana-2.1 through Google AI Studio and the paid Gemini API in supported regions. AI Studio/Gemini API requires users to be 18 or older; mainland China is absent from the current region list. The model card also lists the Gemini app, Search AI Mode, Flow, Stitch and Google Ads as distribution channels, which does not establish identical access or quotas for every account and plan. Google has deprecated gemini-3.1-flash-image and recommends migrating to 2.1, but its current changelog and deprecation table announce no shutdown date.
Sources
- Release notes — October 6, 2026 — Google AI for Developers
- Gemini Nano Banana 2.1 — Google AI for Developers
- Gemini Developer API pricing — Nano Banana 2.1 — Google AI for Developers
- Nano Banana 2.1 — Model Card — Google DeepMind
- Gemini deprecations — Google AI for Developers
- Available regions for Google AI Studio and Gemini API — Google AI for Developers
- Nano Banana 2.1 — Google DeepMind