LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - Philip Morris International ( PM )

officially launched IQOS in Austin, Texas, on Thursday,

kicking off efforts by the world's largest cigarette maker to

build a market for its flagship heated tobacco device in the

United States.

PMI hopes to capture a 10% share of U.S. tobacco and heated

tobacco unit volume by 2030 and build a substantial base of new

users in the world's top market for smoking alternatives.

Reuters reported in April that PMI was preparing for an

Austin launch of IQOS, the top-selling heated tobacco device

globally, but it has so far not been widely available to

consumers.

PMI said on Thursday that after a successful pilot it was

now offering IQOS to smoking-age Austin residents and would host

demonstrations and guided trials for adults at the Austin MotoGP

Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas to showcase the product.

IQOS will be available at select mobile locations and

through "IQOS coaches" beginning Thursday, it continued, and

available for online purchase in late April.

Spokespeople for PMI did not immediately share information

on pricing.

PMI previously said it would launch IQOS in four cities in

two U.S. states, but so far only the Austin launch has been

announced.

It is pursuing a limited U.S. roll-out of an older version

of the IQOS device while waiting for authorisation to sell the

latest iteration, dubbed ILUMA, in the country.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently weighing

PMI's ILUMA application. The FDA has already authorised PMI to

sell the older device and market it as reducing exposure to

harmful chemicals versus cigarettes.

Campaigners wrote to the FDA last year to oppose PMI's

IQOS-related applications, alleging the company had violated

previous FDA orders. PMI disputed this.