nano-banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) : A Deep Dive into 5 Image Generation and Editing AI Models

This article includes a promotion for Pollo.ai.

Introduction

Hey there, I'm Easygoing!

Today, I’m excited to introduce nano-banana, Google’s user-friendly tool for image generation and editing.

What Makes nano-banana Amazing?

Launched on August 26, 2025, nano-banana is Google’s latest image generation and editing AI, officially named Gemini 2.5 Flash Image.

gantt
    title Google AI Models
    dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
    axisFormat %Y

    section Large Language Model
        T5 : done, a1, 2019-10-23, 2025-09-15
        PaLM : done, b1, 2022-04-04, 2025-09-15
        Gemini 1.0: done, c1, 2023-12-06, 2025-09-15
        Gemini 2.5 : c4, 2025-05-21, 2025-09-15
        
    section Image Generating AI
        Imagen : done, d1, 2022-05-23, 2025-09-15
        Imagen 4 : d4, 2025-05-21, 2025-09-15
        Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (nano-banana) : crit, d5, 2025-08-26, 2025-09-15

Image generation AIs typically combine two key components:

• Text Encoder: Analyzes the user’s prompt.
• Transformer: Generates the actual image.

While Google hasn’t shared detailed specs for Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, its name suggests it uses the advanced Gemini 2.5 Flash model for the text encoder and likely incorporates Imagen 4 (or an enhanced version) for the transformer, known for its high-quality output and versatility.

Beyond just creating images, nano-banana excels at advanced image editing through chat-based instructions, making it a game-changer in the AI space.

How to Use nano-banana

You can access nano-banana in three ways:

• Gemini Chat
• Google AI Studio
• Google Gemini’s paid API

Both Gemini and Google AI Studio are free to use for anyone with a Google account.

Let’s Try nano-banana with Gemini Chat!

Let’s dive into the simplest method: using Gemini Chat to edit images.

First, log in to your Google account and visit the Gemini page linked above.

Once on the page, start a new chat with Gemini. Click the + button at the bottom left, select file upload, and choose the image you want to edit.

Creating a Three-View Character Sheet

Let’s edit the uploaded illustration step by step to create a three-view character sheet.

Removing the Background

First, let’s remove the background from the illustration. In the Gemini chat, simply instruct it to remove the background.

The process takes just seconds and delivers remarkably precise results. Previously, background removal required specialized software like Photoshop, but nano-banana makes it effortless with just a chat command.

Generating a Full-Body Image

Next, let’s create a full-body version of the character, including parts not visible in the original image.

Nano-banana fills in the missing parts, like the legs, while maintaining a natural style consistent with the original illustration.

Adjusting to a Standing Pose

Now, let’s change the character’s posture to a standing, at-attention position.

Nano-banana follows the posture instructions accurately, producing a well-balanced and natural full-body illustration.

Creating a Three-View Character Sheet

Finally, let’s generate a three-view character sheet (front, side, and back views).

Using just a single front-facing image, nano-banana easily generates side and back views.

While texture quality may slightly degrade with smaller character sizes due to iterative edits, the result is still an impressive three-view sheet that captures the character’s key features.

Comparing nano-banana with Other Image Editing AIs

Let’s see how nano-banana stacks up against other image editing AI models.

GPT-Image-1

Released on April 23, 2025, GPT-Image-1 from Open AI was a pioneer in chat-based image editing, gaining attention for its ability to create Ghibli-style images and four-panel comics.

While GPT-Image-1 excels at understanding prompts, its outputs tend to have a brownish tint and weaker style consistency compared to Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. It also offers less variety in its generated illustrations.

Aurora (X.ai)

Aurora, integrated with X.ai’s Grok AI, has been available for image editing since its debut on December 9, 2024.

Aurora lags in precision and texture quality compared to newer models like nano-banana.

As it was developed before significant advancements in image editing AI, its performance feels dated.

However, Aurora is likely training on vast amounts of images posted on X, so future improvements are expected.

Flux.1-Kontext [dev]

Developed by Black Forest Labs, Flux.1-Kontext [dev] is an open-weight model that can be used locally.

Its T5-XXL text encoder, though a few generations behind Gemini 2.5 Flash, still handles prompts with decent accuracy.

Flux.1’s anime illustrations often appear slightly childlike, but the texture quality is high.

Note that its licensing is complex, with restrictions on commercial use.

Qwen-Image-Edit

Released on August 17, 2025, by Alibaba Group, Qwen-Image-Edit is a local image editing model licensed under Apache-2.0, allowing full commercial use.

While Qwen-Image-Edit delivers high-quality results with good style retention, its large model size and lack of a distilled version mean slower processing times.

Still, it’s a strong choice for local, commercial-grade image editing.

Overall Verdict: nano-banana Shines!

gantt
    title Image Editing AIs
    dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
    axisFormat %Y-%m

    section Google
        nano-banana : crit, 2025-08-26, 2025-09-15
    section Open AI
        GPT-Image-1 : 2025-04-23, 2025-09-15
    section X.ai
        Aurora : 2024-12-09, 2025-09-15
    section Black Forests Labs
        Flux.1-Kontext: 2025-06-26, 2025-09-15    
    section Alibaba
        Qwen-Image :  2025-08-17, 2025-09-15

As of September 2025, nano-banana leads the pack in image editing AI performance. Its prompt accuracy, style consistency, and variety of outputs outshine competitors.

Best of all, it’s free to use with a Google account, making it the go-to choice for anyone looking to try image editing AI.

Precautions for Using nano-banana

Here, we will review the precautions to consider when using nano-banana. When using nano-banana, no clear license is provided to users, so it is necessary to carefully review the terms of use.

• License: What is permitted by the service
• Terms of Use: What is prohibited by the service

To use nano-banana, you must agree to the following two terms.

• Google Terms of Service
• Gemini API Additional Terms of Use

You will need to check the specific details yourself, but the key points are as follows:

1. Prohibition of use by minors, for illegal purposes, or to infringe on others' rights
2. Google does not claim rights to the output
3. Data input and output may be secondarily used by Google

Prohibited Uses

Gemini API services, including nano-banana, are not for users under 18. They also prohibit deepfakes or other malicious uses.

Be cautious when uploading images, as sharing them online (including to Gemini) is akin to public distribution, which could infringe on copyrights (public transmission rights) if you upload someone else’s work.

To stay safe, use images you created or free stock images. Note that nano-banana’s outputs may include digital watermarks, allowing Google to track the origin of generated images.

Google Doesn’t Claim Output Rights

Per the terms, Google doesn’t claim ownership of AI-generated outputs, meaning you generally own the content and can use it commercially.

However, without a clear license, the extent of permissible use is at Google’s discretion.

Google reserves the right to delete content it deems inappropriate or suspend accounts without notice.

Legal disputes are handled in U.S. courts, so for serious editing projects, consider local image editing AI options to avoid reliance on nano-banana.

Data Reuse by Google

When using the free Gemini API, Google may reuse input and output data for training or other purposes.

Avoid uploading sensitive documents or real photos that reveal locations or individuals.

For commercial projects, it’s best to avoid free services for final outputs to prevent data reuse issues.

Sponsor: Introducing Pollo.ai

A big thanks to our sponsor, Pollo.ai, for supporting this article!

Pollo.ai Homepage

Pollo.ai leverages Google’s paid Gemini API to provide nano-banana’s features. With a paid subscription, neither Google nor Pollo.ai reuses your data.

About Pollo.ai

Pollo.ai offers weekly or monthly subscriptions, making it ideal for commercial projects.

You can create drafts with the free Gemini service and finalize outputs with Pollo.ai to ensure data privacy.

Conclusion: Give nano-banana a Try!

• Nano-banana is incredibly convenient.
• Check the terms carefully.
• Pollo.ai’s paid service ensures no data reuse.

With nano-banana, image editing AI has reached a practical, real-world level.

It’s free and easy to use, so it’s a great starting point for anyone interested in AI image editing.

As generative AI services grow, their licenses and terms can be complex. I’ll keep sharing clear, accessible updates on new tools and services. Thanks for reading!