Google launches three new Gemini models as 3.5 Pro stays delayed

Google Alphabet Inc. ↘ 6.89% on Tuesday launched three new AI models — Gemini 3.6 Flash, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, and Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber — emphasizing speed and cost efficiency for developers building AI agents, even as its most anticipated model, Gemini 3.5 Pro, remains unavailable months after its originally promised launch date.

A Trio of Specialized Models

The releases, detailed in a Google blog post, position the company's latest offerings as purpose-built tools rather than general-purpose flagships. Gemini 3.6 Flash is described as a "workhorse" model that improves on its predecessor for coding, knowledge work, and multimodal tasks, reducing output token usage by up to 17% compared to 3.5 Flash according to the Artificial Analysis Index.businessinsider+1

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite delivers 350 output tokens per second, making it Google's fastest 3.5-class model, aimed at high-volume workloads where cost is paramount. Meanwhile, 3.5 Flash Cyber is a specialized cybersecurity model paired with Google's CodeMender code security agent, designed to identify and remediate software vulnerabilities. Unlike the other two models, Flash Cyber will initially be available only to governments and trusted partners, according to Business Insider.blog+1

Both 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite are available starting Tuesday through the Gemini API in Google AI Studio, the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, and the consumer Gemini app.blog

The Absent Flagship

The new models arrive against the backdrop of Gemini 3.5 Pro's prolonged delay. Google CEO Sundar Pichai told reporters ahead of the company's I/O conference in May that the model would "roll out to everyone next month," pointing to a June release. That deadline passed without delivery.mashable

Bloomberg reported last week that the delay stems from the model falling short of internal goals, particularly in coding performance. Google acknowledged the situation in a statement to 9to5Google, saying it is "currently testing 3.5 Pro, an upgraded Flash model, and other models with partners" and is "productively engaged with the U.S. government on model testing and broader frameworks".9to5google+1

In Tuesday's blog post, Google offered no new timeline, stating only that it plans to "make it broadly available as soon as it's ready".blog

Efficiency Over Power

The strategy is clear: while rivals ship ever-larger models, Google is filling gaps with targeted, efficient alternatives. Tulsee Doshi, senior director of product management in Google's Gemini group, framed the new releases as hitting the "sweet spot" of efficiency and power for running AI agents. Whether that positioning satisfies developers waiting for the Pro model's 2-million-token context window and deep reasoning capabilities remains an open question.businessinsider