Google (GOOGL.US) starts online direct sales of hardware devices in India, including Pixel phones, watches, earbuds, etc.

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on Thursday, Google (GOOGL.US) began selling its popular hardware devices directly online in India, including products such as Pixel phones, watches, and earbuds. Prior to that, outsiders expected the company to open its first physical stores in this South Asian country.

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, said it has opened a direct online purchase channel for Indian users on the Google official store website for the first time. Currently, the company sells products in India through authorized retailers and Flipkart, an e-commerce platform owned by Walmart (WMT.US).

In the high-end smartphone sector, Google's rival Apple (AAPL.US) has long sold phones directly to Indian users, and is operating its own retail stores in Mumbai and New Delhi, and has plans to open more stores.

According to February reports, Google is about to determine the locations of its first physical retail stores outside of the US in India.

In opening physical stores, Google is trying to learn from Apple's retail strategy of the past 20 years. This strategy has brought Apple billions of dollars in revenue by showcasing its own products. Currently, Apple has more than 500 retail stores around the world.

In India, the price range of Pixel phones is large. The entry-level model is around $360, and the high-end model can reach 1,900 US dollars. Apple iPhones cost around $520 to $2,100. In addition, Google has also begun manufacturing Pixel smartphones in India.

According to estimates by research agency Counterpoint, in 2024, Apple will dominate the Indian high-end mobile phone market with prices above $520, with a market share of about 55%, while the share of Pixel phones is only 2%. Currently, the smartphone market in India is growing rapidly, with around 712 million users.