Google has announced a delay in the release of its highly anticipated Gemini 3.5 Pro AI model. The Mountain View tech giant had previewed the model at Google I/O 2026 in May, with a planned June 2026 launch for the Pro versions. However, the timeline has passed, and the model remains unavailable to users.
Why the Gemini 3.5 Pro Delay?
The primary reason for the postponement, according to a Bloomberg report, is that the Gemini 3.5 Pro model has not met Google's internal performance expectations. Specifically, it has reportedly fallen short in its coding capabilities, which are crucial for tasks such as writing, understanding, and debugging code.
In an effort to address these issues, Google reportedly updated its training data in late June, incorporating more programming-related examples to fine-tune the model. However, these adjustments did not yield the expected improvements in performance. As a result, the company is now said to be restarting its training process, which is the direct cause of the current delay.
The news of the delay had an immediate impact on Google's parent company, Alphabet. Its stock price fell by approximately 4% during trading on July 16, reflecting investor concerns about the setback in its AI development.
Google's Statement and Competitive Landscape
In a statement, Google acknowledged the ongoing work, saying, “We are currently testing 3.5 Pro, an upgraded Flash model, and other models with partners. We’re shipping quickly across a wide range of models while keeping them highly cost-effective for customers.”
This delay places Google under increased pressure in the highly competitive AI market. Rivals have recently launched new-generation AI models with significant upgrades. OpenAI, for instance, released GPT 5.6 Sol, which boasts 54% more token efficiency on agentic coding tasks. Similarly, Anthropic has introduced Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 after comprehensive government checks, further intensifying the need for Google to deliver a robust and competitive next-generation AI model.
As of now, Google has not provided a new official timeline for the Gemini 3.5 Pro model's release. Industry observers suggest that the model may not be available until substantial improvements are made to its overall capabilities, particularly in the critical area of coding performance.