Google unveils three Gemini models, skips 3.5 Pro
▼ Summary
– Google DeepMind released Gemini 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, and 3.5 Flash Cyber, with 3.6 Flash offering improved coding and multimodal performance while reducing token usage by up to 17%.
– Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is the most cost-effective model, while 3.5 Flash Cyber is a specialized cybersecurity model available only to governments and trusted partners in a limited pilot.
– The release focuses on efficiency, latency, and reliability for customers building AI agents at scale.
– The update does not include the long-anticipated Gemini Pro model, which was last updated in February and has faced internal delays.
– Competitors OpenAI and Anthropic have released several new models recently, highlighting the intense release pace among rival labs.
On Tuesday, Google DeepMind unveiled three new AI models: Gemini 3.6 Flash, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, and Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber. The standout release, Gemini 3.6 Flash, is described as the company’s new “workhorse model,” delivering enhanced performance in coding, knowledge work, and multimodal tasks while cutting token usage by up to 17%. This efficiency makes it more affordable than its predecessor, 3.5 Flash.
Meanwhile, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite positions itself as the most cost-effective option in the lineup. The third model, 3.5 Flash Cyber, has been fine-tuned specifically for detecting and repairing cybersecurity vulnerabilities at a competitive price point. Google notes that this specialized version will be available only to governments and trusted partners through a limited access pilot program.
Google emphasized that these releases are designed to provide efficiency, low latency, and reliability for customers building AI agents at scale. But the announcement is as notable for what it omits as for what it includes. Missing from the update is the long-anticipated Gemini 3.5 Pro, the flagship model last refreshed in February.
Since that February launch, the competitive landscape has shifted dramatically. OpenAI has released GPT-5.5 and begun rolling out GPT-5.6. Anthropic has introduced Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Sonnet 5, and expanded access to its frontier Fable 5 model. These moves highlight the relentless release cadence among rival labs.
Google had teased a Pro release alongside the 3.5 Flash launch in May, stating it was “already being used internally” and expected to roll out “next month.” However, last week Bloomberg reported that internal delays had hampered the launch of 3.5 Pro as the company struggled to hit performance targets.
Gemini Pro models typically serve as Google’s highest-capability offerings for complex reasoning and coding. In contrast, the Flash series prioritizes lower cost and faster response times for production environments.
Logan Kilpatrick, Google DeepMind’s product lead, said Tuesday that the company is currently testing Gemini 3.5 Pro with partners and hopes to “land soon.” He added that the team has also started its most ambitious pre-training run yet for Gemini 4.
(Source: TechCrunch)
