Gemini Thinking: How "Brainy" Models Unexpectedly Blew My Budget

Recently, Google notified me that the Gemini 2.0 models I was using are retiring. This was disappointing because my charity project for Technovation Girls, worked perfectly and very cheaply on those models. I had to find a replacement. While Google recommended Gemini 3.0, those models are still in "preview". Since my project needs high stability, I chose the Gemini 2.5 family, which is already in "General Availability". The Surprise: Why is it so Slow and Expensive? Switching w...