Technologies

I Tried Gemini’s ‘Nano Bananas’ for Image Editing. The AI Slipups Were Obvious

Google’s new AI model is good at some tasks, but it struggles in these key areas.

After seeing all the banana-fanfare for Google’s newest generative AI tool, I knew I had to take it for a spin. Named Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, the model upgrades your ability to edit your photos natively in Gemini. AI enthusiasts have referred to it as the «nano bananas» model, spurred on by a series of banana-themed teasers from Google execs.

In the few weeks it’s been out, people have created over 200 million AI images, and over 10 million people have signed up to use the Gemini app, according to Josh Woodward, Google’s vice president of Google Labs and Gemini.

Google has invested heavily in its generative media models this year, dropping updated versions of its image and video generator models at its annual I/O developers conference. Google’s AI video generator Veo 3 stunned with synchronized audio, a first among the AI giants. And creators have made more than 100 million AI videos with Google’s AI filmmaker tool, Flow.

I’ve spent a lot of time testing AI creative software, and I was excited to see what Google had cooked up. But my testing of 2.5 Flash Image showed that just because something has a flashy entrance doesn’t mean it’ll always lives up to its hype. Here’s how my experience with Gemini nano bananas went: the good, the bad and the frustrating.

What worked

The Gemini bananas model is spookily good at adding elements to existing images, blending AI-generated elements well into any picture you snapped. It also maintains a decently stable level of character consistency — meaning the people in my photos weren’t too distorted or wonky after going through the AI processing. Those are both important distinctions for AI image programs, and something Google said it had worked to improve.

You can see both of these characteristics in this picture of my sister and me. Our general appearances are unchanged in the edited version (right), showing off that character consistency. I asked Gemini to add a third sister who looked similar to the two of us, which it did scarily well by adding a third woman in between the two of us.

I was also pretty impressed with how quickly Gemini could spit out completed images. Anywhere under a minute gets a gold star from me, and Gemini was regularly handling requests in under 15 seconds. I also appreciated how it added a watermark to all the images it created and edited — even if I don’t love how tech companies have corrupted the sparkles emoji for AI, it’s extremely important to have some markers of AI-generated content. Google’s SynthID and behind-the-scenes work also help differentiate AI content from human-created imagery.

Gemini is good at wholesale AI image creation, too, but I recommend using its Imagen 4 or another AI image generator instead — they have more hands-on controls and settings that get you closer to what you want with less work.

What really didn’t work

There are serious limitations to Gemini bananas. It automatically generated square images, and follow-up prompts asking for images to be adapted into other dimensions were ignored or failed.

I also noticed that Gemini reduced the resolution of many of my photos. I primarily take photos with my iPhone 16, which has stellar cameras, but after going through the Gemini bananas model, those fine details were often blurred. That’s annoying and won’t win over any photographers.

I tried repeatedly to get Gemini to handle photo edits that would’ve been difficult for me to do manually. That’s one area in photo editing where AI is supposed to excel — automating mundane but detail-intensive edits. Sadly, Gemini really struggled with prompt adherence here, meaning it didn’t do what I asked.

I tried many times to get Gemini to remove reflections from a snap of a Freakier Friday movie poster, but they stubbornly remained. And the more I tried to get it to remove the reflections, the poorer the quality of the image became with every prompt. Once-clear text was ultimately illegible after I finally gave up, not to mention the accidental, scary-looking damage done to the faces of Lindsey Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Gemini nano bananas struggled to generate images in different dimensions. Resizing and cropping images is a core photo editing process, but Gemini didn’t — or couldn’t — handle simple sizing guidelines in my prompts.

I reached out to Google about the resolution and dimension issues and a spokesperson said the tech company is «aware and actively working on both issues. It’s been a big update from our previous model but we’ll continue to improve on the model.»

Overall, Gemini nano bananas proved to me that Google is serious about continuing to dominate in generative media. But it has significant pitfalls, with too big a focus on generating new elements rather than using AI to improve and tweak common photo issues. For now, the nano bananas model is best suited for Gemini fans who want to make big edits quickly. For those of us looking for more precise tools, we’ll have to wait for Google’s next big update or find another program.

Gemini nano bananas availability, pricing and privacy

You don’t need to do anything to access the new model; it’s automatically added to the base Gemini 2.5 Flash model. Gemini is available for free, with more models and higher usage caps available in Google’s AI plans starting at $20 per month.

If you’re a paying subscriber, you may also be able to access the model through Google AI Studio. From there, all you have to do is upload an image and type out your prompt. Each prompt uses anywhere from one to two thousand tokens, depending on the level of detail required. Adobe Express and Firefly users can also access the new model now.

Google’s Gemini privacy policy says it can use the information you upload for improving its AI products, which is why the company recommends avoiding uploading sensitive or private information. The company’s AI prohibitive use policy also outlaws the creation of illegal or abusive material.

For more, check out the best AI image generators and everything announced at the Made by Google Pixel 10 event.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 8, #820

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Sept. 8, No. 820.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a fun mix of topics. Fans of a certain British special agent, plus fans of a particular furry friend, will enjoy the blue and purple categories. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Are you kidding me?

Green group hint: Not a decrease.

Blue group hint: Like 007.

Purple group hint: Meow.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Nonsense.

Green group: Increase, with «up.»

Blue group: Fictional spies.

Purple group: Cat ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is nonsense. The four answers are baloney, bull, bunk and rubbish.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is increase, with «up.» The four answers are crank, hike, jack and raise.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is fictional spies. The four answers are Archer, Hunt, Peel and Powers.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is cat ____. The four answers are fish, nap, tail and walk.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Sept. 8, #1542

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Sept. 8, No. 1,542

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

I got a kick out of today’s Wordle puzzle. It’s a fun word, with fairly common consonants, though if you guess AUDIO or ADIEU as your first word, you won’t get a lot of letters right away. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has one vowel.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with C.

Wordle hint No. 4: Fly high

Today’s Wordle answer is often associated with birds.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a short, high-pitched sound.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is CHIRP.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Sept. 7, No. 1541 was TENOR.

Recent Wordle answers

Sept. 3, No. 1537: FETCH

Sept. 4, No. 1538: BLEND

Sept. 5, No. 1539: DRIFT

Sept. 6, No. 1540: BULGE

Technologies

We Are Days Away From the iPhone 17 Pro’s Likely Reveal: Will Apple Raise the Price?

These are the biggest iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max rumors and leaks we found: From a new aluminum and a full-width camera bump to an 8x telephoto and a price increase.

Apple’s «Awe Dropping» event is Sept. 9, 2025 and we expect to see new iPhone models like the iPhone 17 Air. But according to leaks rumors and leaks the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max should arrive with plenty of upgrades and new features, too.

Last week, the MacRumors reported (citing a Trendforce report ) that the base iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models will cost $1,199, $200 more than the iPhone 16 Pro, but will have twice as much storage: 256GB instead of the standard 128GB. The entry-level iPhone 17 Pro Max will also have 256GB, but the price will start at $1,299 ($100 more than the 16 Pro Max).

This pricing news follows a recent alleged image of the iPhone 17 Pro’s aluminum chassis that appeared on the Chinese social media site Weibo, as reported by MacRumors. The photo shows an unfinished aluminum frame with cutouts for the cameras and a full-body wide camera bump (that lines up with other rumors). It’s impossible to know if this is an actual body for an iPhone 17 Pro or just a mock-up that someone made. But if it’s true, it validates previous rumors that Apple could be changing the iPhone Pro models’ frame from titanium to aluminum, which is much lighter.

Although speculation about an ultrathin iPhone 17 Air has hogged the spotlight, the Pro models tend to have more upgraded features. In addition to the camera, the Pro could get a surprising new color and the much-coveted scratch-resistant, antireflective display.

There’s even a rumored video of the iPhone 17 Pro posted from the X account @skyfops, although there’s no confirmation this was in fact the actual iPhone 17 Pro or perhaps a dummy model:

I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild 🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/iS3PtKWqxJ

— Fox Pupy 🦊🧡 (@Skyfops) July 28, 2025

Apple hasn’t announced anything or confirmed any rumors, and we likely won’t find out for sure until the next iPhone officially comes out. Until then, we’re tracking all the biggest leaks and rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and sharing what we’ve heard so far.

Read more: I May Upgrade to the iPhone 17 Pro Max If These 6 Rumors Are True

iPhone 17 Pro’s rumored camera bump redesign and movable telephoto lens

The iPhone 17 Pro’s camera has been the subject of multiple rumored changes, but recent ones come from an anonymous tipster.

MacRumors says a tipster who claimed to be familiar with an iPhone Pro commercial revealed features that included a telephoto lens — upgraded to 8x optical zoom from 5x on the iPhone 16 Pro — that can apparently move. A moving lens could allow continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths, according to MacRumors.

CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland, who’s been reviewing phones for CNET since 2016, noted that Sony, which for years made the sensors for the iPhone, had a couple of phones with a variable zoom lens that worked like an actual camera zoom lens. While Apple may not use the exact same technology as Sony’s, Holland notes, it could adapt some of it for the iPhone 17 Pro.

MacRumors also reported the iPhone 17 Pro could have an additional Camera Control button, which would be in addition to the bottom-right edge camera button the iPhone 16 models sport, as well as a new camera and video app.

In January, Bu posted a leaked image on X suggesting that the phone could feature a pill-shaped camera bar that looks a lot like the camera bar on Google’s Pixel 9 phone.

That raised the question of whether the iPhone 17 Pro would align the three camera lenses in a single row or leave them stacked in a pyramid design, as it did with the iPhone 16 Pro.

In February, Bu posted CAD renders of what could be the iPhone 17 lineup, and Front Page Tech also shared iPhone 17 Pro renders in this video on YouTube (Apple filed a lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser, featured in this video, over leaks about the iOS26):

Both showed horizontal camera bars for the iPhone 17 Pro models that keep the stacked lens layout.

Pu wrote in March that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will feature a 48-megapixel telephoto rear camera, up from 12 megapixels on the iPhone 16 Pro models. That would mean all three cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro models — wide-angle, ultrawide and telephoto — would be 48 megapixels.

And as for your selfies, analyst Jeff Pu reports that the front-facing camera will be upgraded from 12 megapixels on the iPhone 16 to 24 megapixels on all iPhone 17 models.

Front Page Tech reported in April that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may also add a built-in video feature that allows you to record with the front and rear cameras simultaneously. The feature would let you overlay a shot of your face over an outward-facing video. A video upgrade from the already stellar iPhone 16 Pro could add some serious value for video creators considering the iPhone 17 Pro.

Read more: Apple, Please Don’t Let AI Ruin the iPhone 17’s Camera

Pro displays could get an antireflective upgrade

On July 16, MacRumors cited a «reliable source» in reporting that the Pro and Pro Max could get a scratch-resistant antireflective display, reversing itself on previous reports that Apple had to scrap plans due to scaling issues. If the latest rumor proves true, the upgrade from Apple’s Ceramic Shield display could prove an enticing feature for the Pro and Pro Max.

Holland called the antireflective display one of the best attributes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Apple Insider reported in May that the iPhone 17 could get a larger display than the iPhone 16. DSCC founder and Counterpoint Research VP Ross Young posted on X that the base iPhone 17 will be 6.3 inches, an upgrade from the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch display. In theory, that means the iPhone 17 would have the same screen size as the iPhone 17 Pro.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to continue with a 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display, respectively, similar to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Rumored design changes for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

The latest rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max design include colorful developments and a new frame composition.

Orange among the Pro color lineup

Rumors of a new color for the iPhone started in April, when Twitter user and leaker Majin Bu (not the Dragon Ball Z character) posted that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could get a sky blue option.

But on July 14, Bu posted that Apple is ditching sky blue for the Pro Models, with only the rumored iPhone Air claiming the hue. Then on July 29, Bu posted a video on X of Pro mockups in four colors:

black
silver
dark blue
orange

What’s your favorite iPhone 17 Pro color? pic.twitter.com/yVck0lXuss

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) July 29, 2025

Digital blogger Weibo said that one of the colors is «related to the liquid glass design of iOS 26,» saying it would be white but with different visual effects depending on which light it was in.

For reference, the iPhone 16 and Plus made a splash last year when they debuted pink, teal and ultramarine color options, alongside the standard white and black. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max introduced a new color, desert titanium — a restrained shade of peach — alongside the classic natural titanium, white titanium and black titanium options.

The Pro models have traditionally featured more muted colors, so the prospect of an orange or glass-inspired color could offer an exciting new look for the Pro.

Apple logo moving lower

The Apple logo on the back of the phone may be moving lower on the Pro models, as shown in a Bu post on X of an iPhone 17 mockup:

iPhone 17 Pro design: logo moves lower.
Here’s why
Full Article:https://t.co/xeC6d0oBeN pic.twitter.com/Q8QwkT56IL

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) June 28, 2025

The change in location is reportedly coming to make room for the larger camera bump design.

Improved audio quality

On June 2, wccftech, said the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max would get longer earpieces, citing a post on X from @duanrui1205. In theory, that could signal improved audio clarity. At the Worldwide Developers Conference later in June, Apple said audio quality will improve with software updates in AirPods with H2 chipsets. CNET got to learn firsthand how Apple tests, calibrates and tunes the audio (and video) on an iPhone. Additional improvements in audio quality could potentially elevate an already impressive feature.

More RAM for iPhone 17 lineup

Apple Intelligence and AI are likely to play more prominent roles with the iPhone 17. To support the new features, all the iPhone 17 models will step up to 12GB of RAM, tipster Digital Chat Station reported in April. Kuo said the iPhone 17 Air and Pro models would get that increased 12GB of RAM, but not the base model.

Considering that the iPhone 16 lineup had 8GB of RAM across all models, this could be a big upgrade for the iPhone 17.

Aluminum frames for all, except Air

There’s been plenty of discussion about whether the iPhone 17 Pro will ditch its titanium alloy frame for an aluminum one. In February, MacRumors said Pu predicted that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have all-aluminum frames or potentially part glass, part aluminum for better durability. The iPhone 17 Air would stick with Apple’s current titanium frame — or possibly a mix of titanium and aluminum.

Dynamic Island size in question

Pu predicted in May that all iPhone 17 models will use a new metalens technology for the proximity sensor, which could result in a smaller Face ID sensor and Dynamic Island, according to a report by 9to5Mac. However, Pu’s report contradicts Kuo, who said that the iPhone 17’s Dynamic Island would remain «largely unchanged» compared with the iPhone 16.

Dimensions

According to a report by 9to5Mac in May, the iPhone 17 Pro line may be thicker, 8.725mm, compared with the iPhone 16 Pro, which clocks in at 8.25mm thick. That larger size could potentially make room for more battery.

In a post on X on July 11, Majin Bu showed a video of a case for a thicker iPhone 17 Pro model, with the design likely based on the iPhone 17 Pro’s rumored dimensions:

New Magsafe Case Design for iPhone 17 Pro pic.twitter.com/ynavEmiPam

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) July 11, 2025

New A19 Pro chip could improve performance

There’s been some back and forth about the chip for the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, but rumors have consistently given the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max the A19 Pro chip.

More recently, MacRumors reported that a Weibo account known as Fixed Focus Digital said the iPhone 17 Air will also come with an A19 Pro chip, like the Pro models. But the Air would have a 5-core GPU, according to the rumor, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max would get a 6-core GPU. An upgraded GPU could improve graphics and video rendering.

Battery life could get a big boost

What good is a new phone if it doesn’t last all day, right? The iPhone 17 Pro Max will get the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, the Weibo leaker known as Instant Digital said in a post on X, as reported by MacRumors. However, the site noted Instant Digital’s spotty record with Apple rumors. If the Pro’s dimensions are identical to the Pro Max’s, as they’re rumored to be, it stands to reason that the Pro could get the bigger battery, too.

And Majin Bu posted on July 3 that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will feature a vapor chamber cooling system, which could help prevent the bigger battery from overheating.

iPhone 17 Pro release date expected in September

In the past several years, Apple has consistently announced its new phones on the first Tuesday of September after Labor Day. However, the first Tuesday is the day after Labor Day in 2025, so that could push the date for the iPhone event to Wednesday, Sept. 3 or Tuesday, Sept. 9. That would mean a release date of Sept. 12 or 19.

This likely will be the case with the full iPhone 17 lineup, with the exception of the iPhone 17E, which could arrive in early 2026, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and a report from The Information.

The iPhone 17 lineup may be the last to follow this fall-release model. Starting with the iPhone 18, Apple will reportedly split its phone releases so that lower-cost iPhones launch in the first half of the year and the higher-end Pro models become available later in the year. But that isn’t expected to happen until 2026 so you can likely still expect the iPhone 17 Pro to become available this fall.

Preorders for a new iPhone typically begin the Friday after the announcement, with the phone shipping a week later. Based on the expected announcement on Sept. 3 or 9, the preorder date could be either Sept. 5 or 12.

Tariffs could raise the price, but there are other factors

Trump has raised, lowered and paused tariffs a dizzying number of times since February, all of which could affect the cost of the iPhone 17 Pro.

Apple, which says it could move much of US iPhone production from China to India, has escaped many of the tariff hikes thanks to a reciprocal tariff exemption list that includes many phones, laptops and other electronics that Apple produces.

However, all the reprieves appear to be temporary so reciprocal tariffs could still affect prices by the time the iPhone 17 is released.

Trump threatened Apple with a 25% tariff on all iPhones made outside the country in a social media post on May 23. Later that day, he said that all smartphones — not just iPhones — would be hit with the 25% tariff by the end of June if they don’t move operations to the US.

Regardless of how tariffs play out, Apple plans to raise iPhone prices later this year, The Wall Street Journal reported. Apple apparently plans to ascribe the price increase to better features and design costs so it can avoid pointing the finger at tariffs and incurring the wrath of Trump (like Amazon temporarily did).

Holland points out that the iPhone is overdue for a price bump. He noted that Apple has never increased the price for an iPhone Pro ($999) since the iPhone X was first introduced in 2017.

So yes, you should expect to pay more for the iPhone 17, regardless of tariffs.

Read more: Thinking About Buying a New iPhone? Here’s Why You Should Wait

Are new iPhone rumors and leaks to be trusted?

Here’s the part where I come in and say: Everything’s a rumor until Apple officially releases the next iPhone. Rumors and speculation leading up to the iPhone’s release are often based on insider knowledge or leaked information from teams working on the iPhone’s designs, but those designs are works in progress — not necessarily the final product.