Google has broken a rare public promise. The flagship model Gemini 3.5 Pro, announced at the I/O 2026 developer conference, remains unavailable—despite CEO Sundar Pichai's May assurance that it would launch in June.
The Key Facts
- May promise: Pichai said at Google I/O that Gemini 3.5 Pro would ship "next month" (June)
- Status July 17: The model still hasn't shipped—over one month overdue
- Still in testing: Google says it's refining the model and testing with partners
- Competition moving fast: Anthropic (Claude Mythos/Fable 5), OpenAI (GPT-5.6 Sol), and Moonshot (Kimi K3) have all launched new models
Why the Delay?
Bloomberg reported two factors behind the slip. First: organizational inertia. Google's size and the number of integrated products create inevitable delays compared to lean AI startups. Second, and more critical: Google leadership fears Gemini 3.5 Pro may not be competitive with rivals' newly released models.
"We are also excited for 3.5 Pro. We are using it internally. It's showing great improvements. We are still testing and refining it, and it will roll out to everyone next month."
— Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, May 2026
Google's official statement to Mashable sounds defensive: the company is "shipping quickly across a wide range of models while keeping them highly cost-effective" and currently testing Gemini 3.5 Pro "with partners" and the U.S. government.
The Competition Doesn't Wait
Since I/O, the competitive landscape has shifted dramatically:
| Company | Model | Launch Date | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | Fable 5 | June 9 | Advanced cybersecurity capabilities |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.6 Sol | July 9 | Next-gen with enhanced coding abilities |
| Moonshot | Kimi K3 | This week | 2.8 trillion parameters, open-source, lower cost |
Early testers report that Kimi K3 delivers similar performance to Fable 5 and GPT-5.6 Sol—at a fraction of the cost. That adds pressure on Google.
Internal Frustration Rising
Bloomberg sources cite "frustration among Google engineers, AI researchers, and managers" over the delay, with concerns that Google "risks losing its edge in the market to rivals Anthropic and OpenAI." In a market moving at AI speed, a one-month slip means the performance bar for Gemini 3.5 Pro keeps rising while Google still tests.
What This Means for Enterprise Users
The situation exposes a core tension: size brings resources but also friction. For companies relying on Google's AI infrastructure, this means delayed feature rollouts. At the same time, a window opens for alternatives—whether Anthropic, OpenAI, or open-source projects like Kimi K3. If you can't wait for Google's roadmap, now's the time to test competitors. The real question: will Gemini 3.5 Pro, when it finally arrives, still matter?
Sources
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