Nano Banana 2 Lite Is Live: 4-Second Images, ~40% of Official on Metered

Key Takeaways

The Lite of Nano Banana 2: Google released Nano Banana 2 Lite (gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image) on June 30 — the lightweight, economy version of Nano Banana 2 (gemini-3.1-flash-image)
Faster generation: ~4 seconds per image, about 2.7x faster than Nano Banana 2 — built for high concurrency, low cost, and fast iteration
~40% of official on metered: APIYI metered pricing is $0.10 input / $12 output per 1M tokens — about 40% of Google’s official rate (60% off)
$0.025 per call: per-call billing at $0.025 (before discount), versus ~$0.034 per image official
1K canvas + 14 aspect ratios: focused on 1K resolution (no 2K/4K), 14 aspect ratios, with an invisible SynthID watermark

Tentative pricing: the model just launched and the current price is provisional — it may be adjusted. We’ll announce any changes separately; the live platform price always prevails.

Background

On June 30, 2026, as part of an update to its Gemini image and video lines, Google released Nano Banana 2 Lite (model ID: gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image). It’s the lightweight version of Nano Banana 2 (gemini-3.1-flash-image), positioned as the fastest, most cost-effective tier in Google’s creative model family. Unlike quality-topping Nano Banana Pro or the quality-and-speed Nano Banana 2, Lite centers on speed and cost: ~4 seconds per image, ideal for fast creative validation, high-throughput developer pipelines, and per-image-cost-sensitive batch work. APIYI has brought gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image online right away, supporting both metered and per-call billing, with metered pricing at about 40% of official — great for cost-sensitive image generation.

Deep Dive

New Model

gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image

Nano Banana 2 Lite image generationThe lightweight, economy version of Nano Banana 2 — ~4s per image, ~2.7x faster than Nano Banana 2. Focused on 1K canvas, 14 aspect ratios, with an invisible SynthID watermark. Built for high concurrency, low cost, and fast iteration.

Same-Family Comparison

Feature	Nano Banana 2 Lite	Nano Banana 2	Nano Banana Pro
Model ID	`gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image`	`gemini-3.1-flash-image`	`gemini-3-pro-image`
Positioning	Fastest / cheapest	Quality + speed	Peak quality
Max resolution	1K	4K	4K
Generation speed	🚀 ~4s	⚡ fast	🐢 slower
Aspect ratios	14	14	10
APIYI metered	~40% of official	~28% of official	—

Quick pick: for max value / fast batch generation, choose Lite; for 2K/4K or higher quality, choose Nano Banana 2 or Pro.

Technical Specs

Parameter	Spec
Model ID	`gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image`
Resolution	1K (no 2K/4K)
Aspect ratios	14 (`1:1`, `4:1`, `1:4`, `16:9`, `9:16`, etc.)
Speed	~4s per image
Watermark	Invisible SynthID
API formats	Google-native / OpenAI-compatible
Channels	Google AI Studio, Gemini API, Vertex / GEAP, APIYI

Real-World Use

Recommended Scenarios

Fast creative validation: 4s per image — great for iterating on prompts and screening directions
High-concurrency batch generation: low per-image cost for scaled asset production
Cost-sensitive in-product embedding: embed image generation in your app with controlled per-image cost
When 1K is enough: social images, thumbnails, draft previews that don’t need 4K

Quick Start

Google-native format (recommended)

import requests
import base64

API_KEY = "sk-your-apiyi-key"

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.apiyi.com/v1beta/models/gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image:generateContent",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}", "Content-Type": "application/json"},
    json={
        "contents": [{"parts": [{"text": "A Shiba Inu under cherry blossoms, watercolor style"}]}],
        "generationConfig": {
            "responseModalities": ["IMAGE"],
            "imageConfig": {"aspectRatio": "16:9", "imageSize": "1K"}
        }
    },
    timeout=300
).json()

img_data = response["candidates"][0]["content"]["parts"][0]["inlineData"]["data"]
with open("output.png", "wb") as f:
    f.write(base64.b64decode(img_data))
print("Image saved")

OpenAI-compatible mode

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(api_key="sk-your-apiyi-key", base_url="https://api.apiyi.com/v1")

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image",
    stream=False,
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "An autumn landscape painting with red leaves and birds in the distance"}]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

Migrating from Nano Banana 2

Just change the model name; keep other parameters (note Lite is 1K only):

# Nano Banana 2 (4K optional)
model = "gemini-3.1-flash-image"

# Nano Banana 2 Lite (faster, cheaper, 1K only)
model = "gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image"

Pricing & Availability

Pricing

Metered (token-based, ~40% of official):

Item	APIYI	Google official	Discount
Input	$0.10 / 1M tokens	$0.25 / 1M tokens	~40%
Output	$12.00 / 1M tokens	$30.00 / 1M tokens	~40%

Per-call:

Item	APIYI (before discount)	Google official
Per image (1K)	$0.025 / call	~$0.034 / image

Choosing a billing mode: set it via “Billing model” when creating a token:

Pay-as-you-go / Pay-as-you-go Priority → metered
Pay-per-request / Pay-per-request Priority → per-call
⚠️ Do not select Hybrid billing.

The model just launched and the current price is provisional — it may be adjusted. We’ll announce any changes separately; the live platform price always prevails.

Stack with Top-up Promotions

Combine with APIYI top-up bonus promotions to further lower real cost: docs.apiyi.com/faq/recharge-promotions.

Where to Get It

APIYI platform:

Site: apiyi.com
Google-native: https://api.apiyi.com/v1beta/models/gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image:generateContent
OpenAI-compatible: https://api.apiyi.com/v1
Model name: gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image

Summary & Recommendation

Nano Banana 2 Lite takes “fast” and “cheap” to a new level: ~4s per image and metered pricing at ~40% of official, focused on the 1K canvas — ideal for high-concurrency, low-cost, fast-iteration work. For 2K/4K or higher quality, switch to Nano Banana 2 or Nano Banana Pro. Core strengths:

Faster: ~4s per image, ~2.7x faster than Nano Banana 2
Cheaper: metered ~40% of official, per-call $0.025 (before discount)
Enough: 1K + 14 aspect ratios covers most everyday generation

Sources:

Google blog: Nano Banana 2 Lite announcement blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/gemini-omni-flash-nano-banana-2-lite/
Google API pricing: ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing
Google DeepMind model page: deepmind.google/models/gemini-image/flash-lite/
Data retrieved: July 1, 2026

Grok 4.5 Is Live: Opus-Class Power at Half the Price Claude Sonnet 5 Is Live: Near Opus 4.8, Priced Same as Official

Changelog

AI Radar

Nano Banana 2 Lite Is Live: 4-Second Images, ~40% of Official on Metered

Key Takeaways

Background

Deep Dive

New Model

gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image

Same-Family Comparison

Technical Specs

Real-World Use

Recommended Scenarios

Quick Start

Google-native format (recommended)

OpenAI-compatible mode

Migrating from Nano Banana 2

Pricing & Availability

Pricing

Stack with Top-up Promotions

Where to Get It

Summary & Recommendation

​Key Takeaways

​Background

​Deep Dive

​New Model

gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image

​Same-Family Comparison

​Technical Specs

​Real-World Use

​Recommended Scenarios

​Quick Start

​Google-native format (recommended)

​OpenAI-compatible mode

​Migrating from Nano Banana 2

​Pricing & Availability

​Pricing

​Stack with Top-up Promotions

​Where to Get It

​Summary & Recommendation

Key Takeaways

Background

Deep Dive

New Model

Same-Family Comparison

Technical Specs

Real-World Use

Recommended Scenarios

Quick Start

Google-native format (recommended)

OpenAI-compatible mode

Migrating from Nano Banana 2

Pricing & Availability

Pricing

Stack with Top-up Promotions

Where to Get It

Summary & Recommendation