Google Releases Gemini 3.6 Flash, Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber; Gemini 3.5 Pro Delayed
Google has expanded its Gemini AI portfolio with the immediate release of three new Flash-series models – Gemini 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, and 3.5 Flash Cyber – today, July 21, 2026. These models offer enhanced efficiency for coding and knowledge work, high-throughput for agentic tasks, and specialized cybersecurity capabilities.
Google today, July 21, 2026, bolstered its generative AI offerings by rolling out three new Gemini Flash models: Gemini 3.6 Flash, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, and Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber. The releases aim to provide developers and enterprises with more efficient and specialized AI tools, even as the highly anticipated flagship Gemini 3.5 Pro continues to face delays, sparking further questions about Google's AI roadmap.
Gemini 3.6 and 3.5 New Series
Gemini 3.6 Flash emerges as Google's new 'workhorse' model, designed for enhanced coding, knowledge work, and multimodal performance. It boasts a significant 17% reduction in output token usage compared to its predecessor, Gemini 3.5 Flash, according to the Artificial Analysis Index. In some benchmarks like DeepSWE by Datacurve, it shows up to a 65% reduction, all while offering a lower cost per output token. The model also delivers higher precision in coding tasks and improved computer use capabilities, with a knowledge cutoff date of March 2026. Anthropic USD 1.5 Billion Copyright Settlement Approved by US Judge; Check Details.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is positioned as the fastest and most cost-effective model in the 3.5 series. Engineered for low-latency and high-throughput tasks such as agentic search and document processing, it achieves an impressive 350 output tokens per second, as measured by Artificial Analysis. This model offers a strong price-to-performance ratio for developers tackling high-volume production traffic.
Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber is a specialized variant built atop Gemini 3.5 Flash, specifically fine-tuned for identifying and rectifying cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This model, integrated into Google's CodeMender agent, has shown competitive performance on the CyberGym benchmark. Due to its dual-use nature, Google has adopted a cautious deployment strategy, making 3.5 Flash Cyber exclusively available to governments and trusted partners via a limited-access pilot program.
Availability and Pricing
Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite are immediately available for developers through the Gemini API via Google AI Studio and Android Studio. They are also accessible to enterprises through the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform and the Gemini Enterprise app, and to general users via the Gemini app. Additionally, 3.5 Flash-Lite is rolling out in Google Search.
Their pricing is structured for developers:
| Model | Input Tokens (per 1M) | Output Tokens (per 1M) |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | $1.50 | $7.50 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $0.30 | $2.50 |
These prices represent a more cost-effective option for many tasks compared to previous models.
The Lingering 3.5 Pro Question
The simultaneous launch of these three new models comes against the backdrop of the continued absence of Gemini 3.5 Pro. Google CEO Sundar Pichai had previously indicated a June 2026 launch for 3.5 Pro at I/O 2026, which was subsequently pushed to July. However, as of July 21, 2026, the model remains in testing with partners and is not generally available.
Reports suggest the delay stems from Google's efforts to enhance 3.5 Pro's capabilities, particularly in coding performance, where it reportedly fell short of internal goals. This has raised concerns among analysts and observers about Google's competitive stance against rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic, who have recently released their own advanced models. Google maintains that Gemini 3.5 Pro is "currently testing with partners and we plan to make it broadly available as soon as it's ready."Â Google Layoffs Safeguard: Thousands of Google Employees Petition Sundar Pichai Over AI Job Cuts.
Despite the 3.5 Pro delay, Google has also teased that its DeepMind team is already undertaking its "most ambitious pre-training run yet" for Gemini 4, hinting at future innovations.
Disclaimer: AI tools assisted in compiling the foundational data and research for this report. The final content was reviewed, edited and verified by human editors at LatestLY.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 21, 2026 10:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
