Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) vs Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) (2026) and Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from Google DeepMind. Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) ships a 131k-token context window, while Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview ships a 128k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is safer overall; choose Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and multimodal apps | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Long context and Vision | RAG, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 131k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $60/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 0 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) for Long context and Vision.
- Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview uniquely exposes Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)
$15,400
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Google AI Studio
Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview adds Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview and Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image); plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-05-28 | 2026-04-14 |
| Context window | 131k | 128k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.50/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $60/1M tokens | - |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on function calling: Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview, tool use: Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview, and structured outputs: Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview. Both models share vision, multimodal input, and reasoning mode, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has $0.50/1M input tokens and Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 1 tracked routes versus 0. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview when vision-heavy evaluation are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) supports 131k tokens, while Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview supports 128k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview open source?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is listed under Proprietary. Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview?
Both Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for multimodal input, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview?
Both Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) or Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview?
Both Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is available on Google AI Studio. Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 Preview is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-31. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.