Breaking

Google's Nano Banana 2.1 Debuts on Arena as a Higher-Ranked Image Model

October 6, 2026 at 17:01 EDT

Media Generation
Foundation Models

Google has made Gemini Nano Banana 2.1 generally available and the model has entered Arena's public image leaderboards, placing No. 4 in multi-image editing, No. 5 in text-to-image and No. 6 in single-image editing. The launch gives developers a new default high-efficiency Google image model just weeks before Google shuts down Nano Banana 2 in the Gemini API.

Oct. 6, 2026 | Google

Nano Banana 2.1 enters the image race

Google's new high-efficiency image model debuts near the top of public image leaderboards while replacing Nano Banana 2 in the Gemini API migration path.

Multi-image edit rank

Text-to-image rank

Image edit rank

$0.0336

Per 1K image output

1K image output cost falls

Standard API image-output price, shown in cents per 1K image.

3.36 cents

Nano Banana 2.1

6.7 cents

Nano Banana 2

The image-output line is roughly half the older model's 1K price, while input and thinking-token rates rise.

What improves

Higher preference scores than earlier Google image models
Better multi-turn character consistency
Lower standard image-output price

What to watch

Higher input and thinking-token rates
Older model ID is being retired
Small text and exact consistency remain limits

Migration path

Old model ID→Nano Banana 2.1→Retest cost and output size

The new model is the named replacement for Nano Banana 2 in the Gemini API.

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