gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image is the 1K efficiency specialist in the current
Nano Banana family. It fits interactive products and high-volume jobs that do
not need 2K or 4K output.
Google describes the upstream model as a low-latency, cost-efficient generator
and editor optimized for 1K output. It supports text-and-image input and
interleaved image editing. See the official
model page.
What YingTu verified
Synchronous generation, asynchronous generation, and image editing all completed at 1024 × 1024 with PNG output in the September 2, 2026 run. A1K
request is accepted; 2K and 4K are not available for this model on YingTu.
Google’s upstream page targets sub-two-second latency. That is not a YingTu
latency promise: the observed synchronous gateway request took 10.647 seconds
in one run, including routing and generation.
Compare with Nano Banana 2
Choose Lite when the output will remain 1K and the newer efficiency-focused
model is the point. Choose Flash when the same integration may need 2K or 4K,
or when its broader upstream positioning better matches the job. Encoding is
observational, not a selection guarantee.
Use Lite parameters
Keep requests inside the 1K limits.
Compare the family
Review Lite against the original, Flash, and Pro models.