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Gemini 3.5 Pro: From Rumors to Cancellation as Google Eyes Gemini 4

Rumors of Gemini 3.5 Pro swirled from late July, but after reported delays and weak performance, leaks say Google quietly cancelled it to focus on the bigger Gemini 4.

2026-07-22 ~ 2026-08-23 · 6 episodes · 26 posts

Episode 1 · Google Teases Gemini 4 with Larger Models and Monthly Updates (2026-07-22, 2 posts)

Google has teased Gemini 4, planning to shift towards larger frontier models and a monthly update cadence. Some speculate this early announcement stems from the disappointing performance of Gemini 3.5 Pro.

Episode 2 · Gemini 3.5 Pro Rumored for August Release, Specs and Reorg Unconfirmed (2026-08-05, 5 posts)

Recent rumors across multiple channels claim Google is about to release a new model, Gemini 3.5 Pro. Reports say the model is fully deployed and could launch at any time, but specific dates vary and are accompanied by unconfirmed specs and internal changes.

Unconfirmed

  • Release date: Reddit users @RareBunch4348 and @Angaisb say the model is deployed and most likely to launch on August 7; X tipster @CtrlAltDwayne and Chinese media point to August 10 and 12 respectively. @haider1 notes the release won't be delayed by recent executive departures.
  • Specs: Chinese media claim Gemini 3.5 Pro will support 2 million token context and an upgraded Deep Think reasoning mode, performing strongly in coding tests.
  • Internal changes: @Angaisb claims a restructuring within Google DeepMind (GDM) accompanies the release.

Why it matters

If true, 2M token context and upgraded reasoning would be a major leap. However, prominent AI developers have mocked the leaks (as relayed by @teortaxesTex), and @CtrlAltDwayne doubts Google can reignite market enthusiasm. @haider1 argues Google's 'silent' strategy only works if the model performs strongly. The industry should treat these exaggerated specs with caution until official confirmation.

Episode 3 · Rumors Suggest Gemini 3.5 Pro Delays and Poor Performance (2026-08-06, 3 posts)

Google's upcoming Gemini 3.5 Pro is reportedly delayed again and suffers from disastrous performance. These ongoing issues have led netizens to urge Google to skip this version and move directly to Gemini 4.

Episode 4 · Rumors Suggest Google Gemini 3.5 Pro Launch as Early as Next Week (2026-08-08, 3 posts)

Rumors on Reddit suggest that Google could release the Gemini 3.5 Pro model as early as next week, possibly around August 12. Speculation is mounting that Google might adopt aggressive pricing strategies to compete directly with OpenAI.

Episode 5 · Google Cancels Gemini 3.5 Pro, Shifts Focus to Gemini 4 (2026-08-10, 8 posts)

According to SemiAnalysis and multiple leakers, Google has quietly canceled its flagship model Gemini 3.5 Pro, originally slated for a June release. Reports suggest the model underperformed, falling out of the top tier, prompting Google to pivot to Flash series as a stopgap and shift strategic focus directly to Gemini 4. This has sparked industry-wide debate on the current trajectory of large language models.

Confirmed

  • Cancellation: Multiple sources, including @RareBunch4348 and @Left-Hotel904, citing SemiAnalysis, report that Google has canceled Gemini 3.5 Pro development. Despite the official website still showing "coming soon," the model is unlikely to be released. @量子位 also noted that promised "next month" releases have repeatedly slipped.
  • Original timeline: @heypearlai noted the model was originally scheduled for release in June this year.

Unconfirmed

  • Reason for cancellation: @ChrisGPT cited leaks suggesting performance was only on par with last year's Opus 4.5, falling out of the top tier, but this has not been officially confirmed.
  • Future release strategy: @ChrisGPT and @markk mention a pivot to Gemini 4 with a Gemini 3.6 Flash as an interim step; these are leaked product plans and remain to be seen.

Why it matters

  • Strategic impact: If a flagship model is canceled after initial announcement due to poor performance, @haider1 comments suggest this could harm Google's reputation. @量子位 also notes Google faces leadership turmoil and restructuring, needing a comeback in core capabilities.
  • Industry implications: This has sparked debate on the LLM development path. @bindureddy points out that Microsoft and Amazon are gradually exiting frontier model development, and combined with DeepMind's broader research directions, people are questioning whether the current LLM paradigm can truly lead to AGI, and considers exiting the race a major mistake.

Episode 6 · Google Team Hypes Gemini 4 as Gemini 3.5 Pro Reportedly Canceled (2026-08-22, 5 posts)

Starting August 22, multiple observers noticed Google Gemini team members posting cryptic, hype-building messages on social media, widely interpreted as the lead-up to a major release. The prevailing read: Gemini 3.5 Pro appears to have been canceled, with Google skipping straight to Gemini 4, whose pretraining may already be complete with strong internal results. All of this remains speculation; Google has confirmed nothing.

Confirmed

  • Google employees, including developer relations lead Logan Kilpatrick, have indeed been posting actively on social media, drawing community attention
  • Per @Heisenricher, Kilpatrick replied to a user that he told the team to post fewer vague teasers and do "more shipping", widely read as hinting a launch is near

Unconfirmed

  • @haider1 reports that Gemini 3.5 Pro appears canceled and Google may skip directly to Gemini 4
  • Speculation holds that Gemini 4 pretraining is complete with strong internal benchmarks, possibly surpassing OpenAI (original post truncated)
  • @haider1 also speculates another Flash model may launch before Gemini 4
  • @haider1 previously speculated Ox Alpha may be secretly trained on the Gemini family (incomplete information)

Why it matters

  • @haider1 argues the earlier Gemini 3.5 Pro delay hurt Google, teaching the lesson that early announcements are risky; hyping Gemini 4 this early suggests pretraining results gave the team confidence
  • Skipping 3.5 Pro for Gemini 4 would mark a clear shift in Google's iteration strategy and could change its competitive cadence with OpenAI
  • Kilpatrick's "more shipping" comment has intensified launch-window speculation, with the community hoping for coding performance near 3.7 Flash speed but stronger