May 29 (Reuters) - Google on Thursday began direct

online sales of its popular hardware devices in India, including

Pixel phones, watches and earbuds, ahead of an anticipated

launch of its first physical stores in the South Asian nation.

The Alphabet-owned firm said it has for the first

time enabled direct online purchases for Indian users on the

official Google Store website. The company currently sells it

products in India through authorised retailers and via

Walmart-backed e-commerce platform Flipkart.

Apple ( AAPL ), its bigger rival in the premium smartphone

category, already sells its phones directly to Indian users, and

operates its own retail stores in Mumbai and in New Delhi, with

more planned.

Google is close to deciding on locations in India where it

will open its first physical retail stores outside the United

States, Reuters reported in February.

In launching the physical stores, Google has sought to

mirror a retail approach that helped Apple Inc ( AAPL ) rake in

billions of dollars in the last two decades by showcasing its

own products. Apple ( AAPL ) has 500 plus stores worldwide.

Pixel phones in India cost from about $360 to $1,900 for

top-end models. Apple's ( AAPL ) iPhones cost from about $520-$2,100.

Google has also started making Pixel smartphones in India.

In 2024, Apple ( AAPL ) dominated the local market for premium

phones, priced above $520, with a roughly 55% share, compared

with Pixel's 2% share, estimates from research group

Counterpoint showed. The fast-growing Indian market has about

712 million smartphone users currently.