Google Debuts Nano Banana 2.1, Halving Image Model Costs

What happened: Google has launched Nano Banana 2.1, its latest image generation model, at roughly half the per-image cost of its predecessor. The model is now live across the Gemini app, Google Search, and other platforms. Google's internal benchmarks claim improved performance (1,050 ELO vs. 990 for v2), but no independent tests have been published.

Why it matters: The aggressive price cut intensifies competition in the AI image generation market, putting pressure on rivals like OpenAI and Black Forest Labs. However, the lack of third-party verification for performance claims means users should approach results with caution.

Source: Decrypt