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30.06.2025

Google Introduces Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite: A Faster, More Efficient AI Model

Google has announced a preview of Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite, a new AI reasoning model designed for speed and affordability, particularly suited for large-scale tasks like classification and summarization. Alongside this, the company confirmed the general availability of two other models—Gemini 2.5 Pro and Gemini 2.5 Flash—previously in preview.

Enhanced Reasoning with Cost and Speed Optimizations

The Gemini 2.5 series represents Google’s latest generation of reasoning models, which process information before generating responses, leading to higher accuracy and efficiency. Among these, Flash-Lite stands out as the most budget-friendly and fastest option, with reduced latency compared to its counterparts.

Unlike other models in the family, Flash-Lite disables deep reasoning by default to prioritize rapid response times and lower operational costs. However, developers can manually adjust the reasoning depth via API parameters when needed. According to Google, this makes the model ideal for high-throughput applications, such as bulk text processing or real-time summarization.

Performance Improvements Over Previous Versions

Built as an evolution of the Gemini 1.5 Flash and 2.0 Flash models, Flash-Lite delivers better efficiency in benchmark evaluations, faster initial response generation, and improved token processing speeds. Google also emphasized that all Gemini 2.5 models allow developers to customize reasoning budgets, giving them control over how much computational effort the AI expends before producing an output.

Pricing Adjustments and Model Specializations

With the general release of Gemini 2.5 Pro and Gemini 2.5 Flash, Google has stabilized their features without further modifications. However, pricing for Gemini 2.5 Flash has been revised:

  • Input token costs increased from $0.15 to $0.30 per million.

  • Output token costs decreased from $3.50 to $2.50 per million.

  • The previous pricing distinction between reasoning and non-reasoning modes has been eliminated.

Google recommends each model for different use cases:

  • Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite: Best for high-volume, low-cost operations.

  • Gemini 2.5 Flash: Optimized for everyday tasks requiring quick responses.

  • Gemini 2.5 Pro: Ideal for complex problem-solving and coding applications.

The Gemini 2.5 series was first introduced on March 25, marking another step in Google’s ongoing advancements in AI efficiency and performance.