Stock Markets February 26, 2026

Google unveils Nano Banana 2 image model, blending Pro features with faster performance

Gemini 3.1 Flash Image brings Pro-grade rendering, upscaling and provenance features into a high-speed model across Google services

By Derek Hwang GOOGL
Google unveils Nano Banana 2 image model, blending Pro features with faster performance
GOOGL

Google announced Nano Banana 2, also known as Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, a new image-generation model that integrates capabilities formerly reserved for the Pro tier with accelerated performance. The model supports advanced world knowledge, precise text rendering and translation, and upscaling from 512 pixels to 4K. Nano Banana 2 is rolling out today across multiple Google products and continues the company’s emphasis on provenance through SynthID and planned C2PA support.

Key Points

  • Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) merges select Pro features with a higher-speed model and supports upscaling from 512 pixels to 4K - impacts technology and creative software sectors.
  • The model preserves likenesses for up to five characters and maintains fidelity for up to 14 objects, while improving lighting, textures and detail - relevant to imaging, advertising and content creation markets.
  • Rollout begins today across Gemini app, Search, AI Studio, Gemini API, Google Cloud’s Vertex AI, Flow and Ads; Nano Banana 2 replaces Nano Banana Pro in Gemini app tiers while Pro and Ultra subscribers retain access to Nano Banana Pro for specialized tasks - affects cloud services and subscription offerings.

Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) on the day of the announcement introduced Nano Banana 2, the latest iteration of its image-generation technology, marketed internally as Gemini 3.1 Flash Image. The company says the model brings several capabilities that had been limited to its Pro offering into a faster, more broadly available model.

Among the features carried over from the Pro tier are enhanced world knowledge integration, more accurate rendering and translation of text within images, and the ability to upscale images from 512 pixels to 4K resolution. The firm describes Nano Banana 2 as able to preserve the likeness of up to five characters while maintaining fidelity for as many as 14 distinct objects in a single generation workflow.

Visual quality improvements are highlighted in Google’s description of the model, which includes more dynamic lighting, richer surface textures and increased sharpness. Users will also have additional control over aspect ratios and output resolutions. Nano Banana 2 draws on Gemini’s real-world knowledge base and is powered by real-time information and imagery accessible via web search.

The rollout starts today across a range of Google products. The company lists deployment in the Gemini app, Search, AI Studio, the Gemini API, Google Cloud’s Vertex AI, Flow and Ads. Within the Gemini app, Nano Banana 2 will supplant Nano Banana Pro across the Fast, Thinking and Pro performance tiers. Customers subscribed to Google AI Pro and Ultra plans will continue to have access to Nano Banana Pro for tasks that require that specialized capability set.

On provenance and verification, Google said it is continuing a dual approach by combining SynthID technology with C2PA Content Credentials. The company reports that the SynthID verification feature in the Gemini app has been used more than 20 million times across multiple languages since its November launch. Google added that C2PA verification will be integrated into the Gemini app in the near future.

Nano Banana first captured widespread attention after going viral in August of last year. A subsequent release, Nano Banana Pro, arrived in November. Google framed the viral success of the original Nano Banana as an influence on its efforts to remain competitive with OpenAI in developing broadly adopted AI services.


While the company has emphasized speed and extended Pro-level capabilities, some aspects of the rollout remain in transition - notably the phased introduction of C2PA verification and the continued availability of Nano Banana Pro for specific subscriber tiers. The broader product deployment across search, cloud and advertising platforms underscores the model’s intended reach across Google’s ecosystem.

Risks

  • C2PA verification is not yet integrated into the Gemini app and is slated to be added soon - timing and adoption remain uncertain, with implications for provenance and content verification workflows.
  • Some specialized tasks will still rely on Nano Banana Pro, which remains available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers - this creates a distinction in capability access between subscription tiers, affecting users in creative and advertising sectors.
  • The product's role in Google’s strategy to compete with OpenAI is described as an ambition rather than a guaranteed outcome - future competitive dynamics and user adoption are not determined by this release alone.

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