Nano Banana 2 aka Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Officially Released! Flash Series Outperforms Pro

Hello everyone, TrashBloom here. Today (February 26, 2026) is a huge day—Nano Banana 2 is gradually rolling out to the Gemini App and web versions! What's most interesting is that the suspected codename of Nano Banana 2 is actually Nano Banana 2 aka. This name was coined purely by the community, but Google officially acknowledged it! It is the preview version of Gemini 3.1 Flash Image.

A Quick Recap

• Nano Banana (1st Gen): Gemini 2.5 Flash Image → Blazing fast, unmatched for daily memes and quick ideations, but sometimes struggled with text, complex compositions, and consistency.
• Nano Banana Pro (Thinking Model): Gemini 3 Pro Image → Released last November to massive acclaim. It features 4K resolution, god-tier text rendering, and flawless character consistency. However, it is expensive, slow, and requires a long "thinking" process.

Users have been asking: "Can I get a model that is fast, powerful, and affordable?" Google heard us, and delivered Nano Banana 2!

What Exactly is Nano Banana 2?

• Official Identity: Gemini 3.1 Flash Image (Preview)
• Community Nickname: Nano Banana 2 (Its suspected codename 😂)
• Positioning: The 2nd generation of the Flash family, aiming for the perfect sweet spot of "Speed × Quality."

Key Upgrades from Today's Tests (The community is buzzing)

• Generates 4K images in under 1 minute, nearing or surpassing the original Nano Banana's speed.
• The image quality closely approaches Nano Banana Pro (some users claim it is even more stable in certain scenarios).
• Text rendering is further evolved; long sentences and typesetting are almost flawless.
• Character and object consistency are significantly improved (super stable during multi-round edits).
• Expected to be much more affordable than Pro.
• Retains Gemini's powerful semantic understanding and logical reasoning.

In short, it is a classic scenario of the "underdog" winning. The Flash series has directly caught up to Pro in quality while remaining faster and cheaper. Google truly knocked it out of the park!

The Community is Going Wild (Today on X / Reddit)

• TestingCatalog posted: "Google is gradually rolling out Nano Banana 2 across Gemini apps! NB2 is based on Gemini 3.1 Flash and is set for today’s release."
• Users are flooding social media with Avengers Doomsday posters, 4K dark wallpapers, and abandoned library ballerinas. The consensus? "Fast, beautiful, and even better than Pro!"
• Someone shouted: "Nano Banana 2 loading soon to your screens 🍌"
• Reddit r/Bard shows side-by-side comparisons of Nano Banana 2 vs Nano Banana Pro, and the improvements are visible to the naked eye.

How to Try It Now?

1. Open the Gemini App or gemini.google.com.
2. Click on "Generate Image".
3. If the model dropdown shows Nano Banana 2 / Gemini 3.1 Flash Image (perhaps as a new option alongside Fast / Thinking), congratulations!
4. Not seeing it yet? Try refreshing, restarting the app, or waiting a few hours—Google is rolling it out gradually.

Summary

The year 2026 has just begun, and Google has already proven with Nano Banana 2 that AI images no longer have to be a choice between "fast but poor quality" and "great but slow." You can have it all!

• Casual Play → Original Nano Banana (Fast)
• Professional Projects → Nano Banana Pro (Thinking)
• The New Sweet Spot → Nano Banana 2 aka Gemini 3.1 FlashImage