# Google launches Gemini 3.8 Live voice model with $0.023 per minute pricing

Digest AI · Generative AI & Models · published 2026-09-17T07:25:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/google-launches-gemini-3-8-live-voice-model-with-0-023-per-minute-pric

## Summary

Google announced Gemini 3.8 Live on September 15, 2026, a voice AI model that enables continuous, natural conversation in 97 languages and can run background tasks such as search and tool invocation. The standard version costs $0.005 per minute for input and $0.018 per minute for output, roughly $0.023 per minute or $1.38 per hour, and is available through Google AI Studio, the Gemini Live API, and a preview for enterprise users. Google also offered a higher‑end Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking tier priced at about $3.50 per hour for more complex reasoning.

The model is positioned against OpenAI’s GPT‑Live‑1, released five days earlier at $0.05 per minute, making Gemini roughly half the price while supporting many more languages. Analysts expect the lower cost and multilingual support to drive rapid adoption in call‑center automation, language‑learning apps, and other voice‑first services, sparking a price‑cutting competition among Google, OpenAI and xAI.

## Key points

- Google announced Gemini 3.8 Live on Sep 15, 2026, supporting 97 languages and real‑time conversation.
- Pricing is $0.005/min input, $0.018/min output (~$0.023/min total), about half OpenAI’s GPT‑Live‑1 cost.
- Extended Thinking version costs about $3.50 per hour for complex reasoning tasks.

## Why it matters

A cheaper, multilingual voice AI could accelerate deployment in call centers, virtual assistants and other consumer services, intensifying price competition among major providers.

## Sources

1. [What happened with Google's "Gemini 3.8 Live"](https://note.com/ai_teacherv/n/nfae49e3bf7da?hl=en) (note.com, 2026-09-17)

Part of the developing story: [Google Gemini Voice Model Saga](https://digestai.news/thread/google-deepmind-launches-gemini-3-8-live-and-3-8-live-extended-thinking-models) (2 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Google launches Gemini 3.8 Live voice model with $0.023 per minute pricing", 17 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/google-launches-gemini-3-8-live-voice-model-with-0-023-per-minute-pric

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