(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.