Google has launched the Gemini 3.5 Flash model, claiming it surpasses the previous Gemini 3.1 Pro in coding and agentic tasks. The announcement was made during Google I/O 2026, where Google described the model as delivering “frontier-level intelligence at exceptional speed,” aiming to minimize the tradeoff between quality and latency.
Gemini 3.5 Flash will serve as Google’s default AI model, designed to provide improved speed over existing Gemini Pro models while being offered at a lower price point. However, it is reported to have reduced performance compared to the forthcoming Gemini 3.5 Pro model, particularly in tasks requiring deep reasoning and high-context understanding.
The 3.5 Flash model outperforms Gemini 3.1 Pro in several benchmarks, achieving scores of 76.2% on Terminal-Bench 2.1, 83.6% on MCP Atlas scaled tool use, and 84.2% on CharXiv Reasoning. Google stated that the model can achieve output at four times the speed of other frontier models in terms of output tokens-per-second.
This capability makes Gemini 3.5 Flash well-suited for long-horizon agentic tasks, significantly reducing the time needed to complete complex processes. According to Google, it can reliably execute multi-step workflows and coding tasks under supervision, with real-world applications already seen in automation of multi-week workflows by partners in the banking and fintech sectors.
Gemini 3.5 Flash is now integrated as the default model for the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search globally. The personal AI agent, Gemini Spark, which is being rolled out to testers, operates on the 3.5 Flash model. Additionally, Google has enhanced cyber and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) safeguards within Gemini 3.5 to reduce the likelihood of generating harmful content.
The new model is generally available via Google Antigravity, the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Android Studio, and the Gemini Enterprise platform. It is also accessible to all users in the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search. No details have been released regarding pricing for the paid tiers of the model. Google confirmed that the Gemini 3.5 Pro model is already in internal use and is expected to roll out next month.
