Google Nexus event: What to expect

Google's September 29 event has the new Nexus duo as its stars and will also see the official launch of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It's been a busy couple of weeks for the company with rumors flying left and right about what it's going to unveil.
In short, we're in for:
  • Two smartphones: LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow official launch
  • Chromecast 2
  • Pixel C tablet
  • Play Music subscription updates including a Family plan
Let's go for a deeper dive in what we know for each one of the above as suggested by the rumor mill.

LG Nexus 5X

LG and Google continue their partnership for a third Nexus device. The LG Nexus 5X will be slightly larger than its predecessor with a 5.2" display versus the 4.95" for the Nexus 5. The resolution will stay the same though, at 1920 x 1080 pixels.

 Under the hood, the Nexus 5X is expected to rock a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset with a quad-core 1.44GHz Cortex-A53 and a dual-core 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57, 2GB of RAM and Adreno 418 GPU. It was first rumored that the phone will rock a microSD card slot, but that was quickly debunked and the only storage you can expect to have is either 16GB or 32GB.
At the back, there a 12MP camera with dual LED flash sitting above the fingerprint sensor. The camera will be able to shoot 4K video at 30fps, but it won't sport OIS. The LG IR laser-assisted autofocus is also present. The front camera is 5MP.
Sadly, the Nexus 5X also lacks wireless charging, as suggested in the very recent leaks, courtesy of Android Police. Below the back cover, there's a 2,700mAh battery. The whole phone weighs 136 grams and measures 8mm thick.
Pricing: Pre-orders of the phone will start today in the US, UK, Korea, Ireland and Japan starting $379.99.

Huawei Nexus 6P

For the first time ever, Google will launch two Nexus smartphones simultaneously. It's also the first time the company cooperates with Huawei on a Nexus device. The Huawei Nexus 6P is the more premium offering and sports a 5.7" QHD AMOLED panel and a metal unibody.
Inside it ticks a Snapdragon 810 (v2.1) chip with 3GB of RAM. The battery is 3,450mAh, which brings up the weight of the phone to 178 grams.

 The Nexus 6P sports dual front-mounted speakers and a USB type-C reversible port for charging and tethering. Internal storage options include 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, with no microSD card slot in sight. The official measurements of the device that leaked earlier are 159.4 x 77.8 x 7.3mm.
At the back, the phone uses the same 12.3MP camera as the LG Nexus 5X and again sport a fingerprint sensor. Google will offers the Nexus 6P in Aluminum, Graphite, Frost and Gold color options.
Pricing: Pre-orders of the phone will start today in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Japan starting $499.99.

Pixel C tablet

The Pixel brand that Google launched with the Chromebook Pixel is going to now include a tablet. Dubbed Pixel C, it will allegedly flaunt a 10.2" display with a pixel density of 308ppi. The display is suggested to be quite bright, capable of reaching 500nits.
Expect the Pixel C tablet to sport an Nvidia X1 quad-core CPU and Maxwell GPU in addition to 3GB of RAM. A USB type-C port will be utilized for charging and data transfers.
It's important to note, that the Pixel C isn't marketed as a member of the Nexus lineup. We'll know the pricing and launch date once the event kicks off today.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Google will officially unveil more details about the latest release of Android dubbed Marshmallow. Android 6.0 brings Now on Tap, which is a more convenient way of searching information from anywhere on the device. Peeking is another feature that gives users control of each app notification. Hardware permissions will enable you to deny apps crawling into your personal data such as location.
Android Pay will be included by default on supported devices launching with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, too. There are also small tweaks such as improved volume control and, allegedly, better use of the battery on the software side.
It's all but confirmed that Android 6.0 Marshmallow will roll out on October 5.

Play Music

We are also expecting Google to update the Play Music subscription options with a Family plan. The plan will cost $14.99/month and offers unlimited music streaming for up to six accounts.
The addition to Play Music will bring it back on track in the war with Spotify and Apple Music, which also offer household plans.

The event

Google will live stream the event on YouTube. It starts at 5MP GMT today and we'll provide a link to the livestream as soon as it goes live. Stay tuned!

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