Google releases Nano Banana 2.1 image model with mask editing and halved prices
Google released Nano Banana 2.1, an image generation and editing model built on Gemini 3.6 Flash that the company says improves visual design, mask-based local editing, text rendering and subject consistency across repeated edits. It can process up to 14 reference images while keeping up to four characters and ten objects consistent, and image output pricing is roughly halved — about $0.034 per 1K image and $0.05 per 2K — while input and text/thinking output prices rose (36Kr reports input tokens tripled). It is rolling out across the Gemini app, AI Studio, Gemini API, Search AI Mode, Google Ads, Flow and Stitch.
Cheap, more consistent repeat-editing at Flash-class pricing could make high-volume image generation a routine part of everyday products.