GPT Image 2.5 is now available in Sumi Studio, and it comes as two models. Flare is built for speed and everyday generation. Sunburst is built for image quality and precise editing. Both cost the same per token as GPT Image 2, so the real question is what you get from the upgrade.
We ran the same prompts through all three models to find out.
Generation: Flare is the fastest, Sunburst has the best lighting
We tested three styles: a realistic fishing harbor, an anime train station, and a Chinese ink and watercolor landscape.
Flare was the clear winner on speed. It finished about 2.3 times faster than GPT Image 2 and about 1.8 times faster than Sunburst. Sunburst was still faster than GPT Image 2, by about 1.3 times.
On image quality, Sunburst came out ahead. Its lighting looks more natural, and it produced slightly fewer of the small mistakes AI models tend to invent, the kind of details that stop making sense when you look closely.
Editing: all three handle the basics, GPT Image 2 misplaces new objects
Editing is where OpenAI says 2.5 improves the most. We gave each model the same harbor image and asked for three changes in a row: turn the fisherman’s jacket red, switch the weather to rain, then change the sign to “TODAY: OCTOPUS 14€/kg” and add a cat on the fish crates.
All three models handled the jacket and the weather well, and the fisherman, the boats and the boat name stayed consistent through each step.
The differences showed up in the last edit. On Flare, the new sign text looks slightly pasted over the board instead of written on it. On GPT Image 2, the cat is placed wrong and appears to float above the crates. Sunburst got both right.
Which one to use
Pick Flare when you need fast results and many variations, and Sunburst when the image needs the best lighting or has to go through several rounds of edits.