Nano Banana 2: Pro-level image generation at Flash speed
Google DeepMind's Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) debuted at #1 on the Artificial Analysis Text-to-Image Leaderboard with an ELO of 1,272. It delivers ~95% of Pro's quality at half the cost and 3-5x the speed. Below is a complete breakdown of the model plus how Soku AI integrates it into creative workflows.
Text-to-image & image editing powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash
Nano Banana 2 Studio (Preview)
AI Model
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)
Reasoning-guided generation with text rendering
Prompt
Up to 50,000 characters. Natural language — no prompt engineering syntax required.
Reference Images
Resolution
Batch Size
Thinking Mode
Output Format
Aspect Ratio
Luxury Product Photography
A premium Swiss timepiece with sapphire crystal face, dramatic side lighting on dark marble
Dynamic Ad Creative
Futuristic running shoe with neon splash effects, high-energy sportswear campaign aesthetic
Beauty & Lifestyle
Crystal perfume bottle surrounded by floating rose petals and water droplets, ethereal atmosphere
Model at a glance
Nano Banana 2 is the default image generation model across Gemini, Google Search AI Mode, Google Lens, and Google Ads. Released February 26, 2026 by Google DeepMind.
Generated with Nano Banana 2
Real outputs from the model — every image below was generated in under 2 seconds with a single text prompt.
“Premium skincare serum on marble surface with soft golden lighting”
“Artisan coffee beans with matte black bag on dark wooden table”
“Designer sunglasses floating against gradient peach-to-coral background”
“Colorful running shoes mid-air with motion blur, energetic fitness style”
“Luxury scented candle with bokeh fairy lights, warm amber tones”
“Wireless headphones on reflective surface, dramatic rim lighting”
“Cold-pressed juice bottles on crushed ice with scattered fruit slices”
“Rose gold wristwatch on white linen, soft diffused window light”
“Ceramic plant pot with monstera on mid-century shelf, morning light”
“Dark chocolate bars with cocoa powder and gold foil on slate”
“Sage green yoga mat with water bottle and eucalyptus, calm neutral tones”
“Weatherproof hiking backpack on mossy rock, misty mountain forest”
Core capabilities
Text-to-image generation
Generate images from natural language descriptions up to 50,000 characters. No prompt engineering syntax required — conversational descriptions work natively.
The model interprets creative direction holistically using reasoning-guided generation, understanding composition, lighting, and spatial relationships before rendering.
Image-to-image editing
Edit existing images using plain language instructions. Describe the change and the model preserves unmodified elements — facial identity, background, lighting.
Multi-turn editing supported via thought_signature passback. Edit iteratively in a conversation without re-uploading.
Character & subject consistency
Maintains identity for up to 5 recurring characters and 14 objects across a workflow. Solves the 'character amnesia' problem for storyboarding and narrative consistency.
Stable characters, wardrobe, environments, and overall style across frames and scenes — critical for A/B testing ad creatives.
Text rendering
Character-by-character validated typography in multiple languages with ~92% accuracy. Supports posters, product labels, ads, greeting cards, and branded visuals.
Notably strong Chinese text rendering — outperforms Nano Banana Pro. Practical enough for real marketing applications.
True 4K resolution
Generates at 512px, 1K, 2K, and 4K natively — not upscaled. 4K output includes additional realistic details not present at lower resolutions.
Rapid iteration workflow: generate at 0.5K for speed, refine at 1K, final delivery at 4K.
Thinking mode (exclusive)
Three reasoning levels — Minimal, High, Dynamic — allowing the model to 'think' before generating. Higher thinking produces more accurate complex compositions.
Configurable via thinkingConfig parameter. Dynamic mode lets the model decide how much reasoning is needed per prompt.
Web & image search grounding
Optional real-time web search integration for accurate depiction of landmarks, cultural artifacts, current events, and real-world objects.
Image Search Grounding (NB2 exclusive) retrieves reference images during generation for improved visual accuracy.
Real-world knowledge
Leverages Gemini's knowledge base for accurate depiction of landmarks, cultural artifacts, public figures, and products without needing reference images.
Performance benchmarks
Head-to-head comparison based on Artificial Analysis leaderboard and independent testing.
Speed & throughput
| Metric | Nano Banana 2 | Nano Banana Pro | GPT Image 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation speed | 3-6 sec | 10-20 sec | ~60 sec |
| Batch throughput | ~900 img/hr | ~180 img/hr | ~60 img/hr |
| 10K daily images | 11-17 GPU hrs | 28-56 GPU hrs | 167+ GPU hrs |
Quality scores (Artificial Analysis ELO)
| Task | Nano Banana 2 | Nano Banana Pro | GPT Image 1.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text-to-image | 1,272 (#1) | 1,220 (#3) | 1,268 (#2) |
| Image editing | 1,228 (#3) | 1,250 (#2) | 1,268 (#1) |
| Text accuracy | ~92% | ~94% | Best |
| Max resolution | 4K | 4K | 1024px |
Technical deep dive
A detailed look at the architecture, API parameters, SDK support, and production considerations for developers integrating Nano Banana 2.
Pricing
Nano Banana 2 offers the best price-to-quality ratio in the market. All prices in USD.
Per-image API pricing
| Resolution | Standard | Batch (50% off) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5K (512px) | $0.045 | $0.0225 |
| 1K (1024px) | $0.067 | $0.0335 |
| 2K (2048px) | $0.101 | $0.0505 |
| 4K (4096px) | $0.151 | $0.0755 |
Gemini app subscriptions
| Plan | Monthly | Daily Quota | Max Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10-20 images | 1K |
| AI Plus | $19.99 | ~50 images | 2K |
| Ultra | $124.99 | ~1,000 images | 4K |
Cost comparison (1,000 images at 1K)
| Model | Cost |
|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 (APIYI) | $30 |
| Nano Banana 2 (Official) | $67 |
| DALL-E 3 HD | $80 |
| Nano Banana Pro | $134 |
| GPT Image 1 | $167 |
Model comparison
How Nano Banana 2 stacks up against the leading AI image generation models.
| Model | Best For | Resolution | Text Accuracy | Speed | Cost (1K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 | Fast iteration, volume, vibrant results | Up to 4K | ~92% | 3-6 sec | $0.067 |
| Nano Banana Pro | Maximum precision, complex compositions | Up to 4K | ~94% | 10-20 sec | $0.134 |
| GPT Image 1 | Best realism, best text rendering | 1024px | Best | ~60 sec | $0.167 |
| DALL-E 3 | Ease of use, lowest barrier | 1792px | ~78% | Moderate | $0.080 |
| Midjourney V7 | Artistic output, fantasy, concept art | 1024px | ~71% | Moderate | Subscription |
Safety & content policies
Nano Banana 2 enforces a dual-layer safety system to prevent misuse while maintaining commercial viability.
Layer 1: Configurable input filtering
Adjustable thresholds for 4 harm categories with 5 levels from BLOCK_LOW_AND_ABOVE to BLOCK_NONE.
- Harassment
- Hate speech
- Sexually explicit content
- Dangerous content
Layer 2: Always-active output filtering
Cannot be disabled. Covers critical safety requirements regardless of configuration.
- Image safety analysis
- Prohibited content detection
- CSAM prevention
- Sensitive PII protection
Eight content restriction categories
These categories are enforced at all times and cannot be bypassed.
- NSFW/Pornographic content (hard block)
- Watermark removal (policy block)
- Famous IP/copyrighted characters (hard block)
- Minor protection (absolute hard block)
- Public figures/celebrities (tightened Feb 2026)
- Financial information modification (new in NB2)
- Outfit/face swapping (hard block)
- Implicit suggestive content (enhanced detection)
Use cases
Ad creative generation
Campaign assets, social media posts, product visuals — generate dozens to hundreds of variants in minutes. Integrated directly into Google Ads campaign creation.
Ad localization
Translate advertisements into different languages with visual adaptation. Google's 'Global Ad Localizer' demo app showcases this workflow end-to-end.
E-commerce product photography
Product shots, lifestyle images, packaging mockups — at a fraction of traditional photography costs. Ideal for catalogues with hundreds of SKUs.
Storyboarding & narrative consistency
Maintain character identity across sequential frames for pitch decks, campaign storyboards, and animated content previsualization.
Marketing materials
Posters, flyers, event banners, landing page hero images, email headers — with text rendering accurate enough for production use.
Product & packaging design
Concept art, 3D product renders, packaging mockups. Excellent 3D imaging capabilities for realistic product visualization.
Ecosystem & integrations
Nano Banana 2 is deeply integrated across Google's ecosystem and supported by a growing set of third-party platforms.
Google Gemini App
Default image model in 141 countries. Available on Free, AI Plus, and Ultra plans.
Google Search & Lens
Powers AI Mode image generation in Search and visual understanding in Google Lens.
Google Ads
Integrated into campaign creation for generating and testing ad visuals directly within the Ads platform.
Google AI Studio & Vertex AI
Developer playground (AI Studio) and enterprise deployment (Vertex AI) with full API access.
Official SDKs
Python, JavaScript, Go, Java — plus OpenAI-compatible interface for easy migration from existing code.
Third-party platforms
Available on fal.ai, OpenRouter, n8n workflow automation, Artlist AI, and discounted API providers like APIYI and EvoLink.
How Soku AI helps
Soku AI integrates Nano Banana 2 into an end-to-end creative testing pipeline — from generation to performance measurement.
Batch creative generation
Generate hundreds of ad variants across formats, aspect ratios, and visual styles in minutes using Nano Banana 2's batch API.
We build reusable prompt templates tied to your brand guidelines, ensuring every variant stays on-brand while testing different hooks, CTAs, and visual treatments.
Multi-platform adaptation
Automatically generate assets for every placement — 9:16 for Reels/Stories, 1:1 for feeds, 16:9 for YouTube — from a single creative brief.
Nano Banana 2's 14 aspect ratio presets combined with character consistency means your product and talent look identical across every format.
Performance learning loop
Connect creative output to real ad performance data. Learn which visual styles, compositions, and text treatments drive conversions.
Soku AI tracks CTR, CPA, and ROAS by creative variant, feeding insights back into the next generation round.
FAQ
Is this an official Google product page?
No. This is a Soku AI overview based on public announcements, API documentation, and independent benchmarks from Google DeepMind, Artificial Analysis, and other sources.
Does the preview UI actually generate images?
No. The studio above is a visual preview of Nano Banana 2's capabilities. Clicking Generate opens the Soku AI platform where real generation happens.
How does Nano Banana 2 compare to Nano Banana Pro?
NB2 delivers approximately 95% of Pro's image quality at half the cost and 3-5x the speed. Pro excels at the highest-precision commercial work; NB2 is better for iteration, volume, and speed-sensitive workflows.
What about content safety restrictions?
NB2 enforces a dual-layer safety system: configurable input filtering (adjustable per-category) and always-active output filtering (cannot be disabled). Eight content categories are hard-blocked. Commercial success rate for compliant content exceeds 95%.
Is 4K resolution really native generation?
Yes. Unlike some models that upscale lower-res output, Nano Banana 2 generates 4K images natively with additional realistic details not present at lower resolutions. It is true generative 4K, not super-resolution.
How should marketers start using this?
Start with 1K resolution for rapid iteration (3-6 seconds per image). Test multiple hooks and visual styles at scale using batch generation (up to 4 images per request). Once you identify winners, regenerate at 4K for final delivery. Soku AI can automate this entire workflow.
Ready to generate at scale with Nano Banana 2?
Tell Soku AI what you are launching and we will build the creative generation pipeline.