Nano Banana 2 vs the Original Models

All users2 min read

Nano Banana (Original)

Underlying model

Gemini 2.5 Flash Image

Speed

Fast (a few seconds)

Max resolution

~1K (1 megapixel)

Text rendering

Basic

Thinking step

No

Prompt adherence

Basic

Status

Replaced by Nano Banana 2

Nano Banana Pro

Underlying model

Gemini 3 Pro Image

Speed

Slow (20s to 60s+)

Max resolution

Up to 4K (4096x4096)

Text rendering

Excellent

Thinking step

Yes (mandatory)

Prompt adherence

Strong

Status

Available via regenerate menu

Nano Banana 2

Underlying model

Gemini 3.1 Flash Image

Speed

Very fast (under 3 seconds)

Max resolution

512px to 4K (4096x4096)

Text rendering

Excellent

Thinking step

Configurable (Minimal/High/Dynamic)

Prompt adherence

Strong

Status

Default model everywhere

0 sec

Generation time (under)

0%

Latency reduction vs Pro

0+ countries

Available in Google Search

What are thinking levels?

When generating images, the AI can spend extra time reasoning about composition, text placement, and prompt details before creating the image. Minimal thinking is the fastest (default for Nano Banana 2). High thinking produces better results for complex prompts but takes longer. Dynamic lets the model decide how much reasoning each prompt needs. Most users will never need to change this; it is mainly useful for developers fine tuning the API.