Inside Google’s Plan To Take On The World’s Fastest Growing Smartphone Market

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

Google’s Pixel smartphones are the gold standard for a pure Android experience and are packed with the best features the company has to offer. But despite their strengths and obvious appeal, Pixel devices haven’t attained household-name status, trailing well behind Apple, Samsung, and Motorola in the US market. That said, Google has been quietly gaining ground in select markets. Take Japan, for instance, where Pixel has rapidly climbed to become the third-largest smartphone brand. It’s an impressive feat — one that Google now hopes to replicate in the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market.

On the sidelines of MWC 2025, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mike Abary, Vice President of Devices & Services Business, APAC at Google. Our conversation delved into Google’s ambitious push into India’s premium smartphone market and how it plans to convince people in the country to look beyond Chinese phone makers as well as Samsung and Apple.

A strong bet on the premium smartphone segment

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

It’s clear that Google wants to make significant strides in India, a market that is rapidly evolving into one of the world’s largest for premium smartphones.

“When we announced that we were going to deepen our commitment to India, we did that with our commitment to manufacturing. And that changed everything,” Abary said. The company’s decision to manufacture in India was driven not only by economic factors but also by a strong belief in the country’s potential. “We had a major belief that this was going to be the largest premium smartphone market in the world, and it is turning quickly into that.”

Google sees immense value in India’s premium smartphone segment, citing the rise of affordability levers that have ensured more people can access high-end devices. “There’s been an emergence of things that have that have happened to make India so appealing for the premium smartphone segment. The biggest is the emergence of affordability levers. That has created a huge amount of access to more Indian consumers than ever,” Abary explained.

Our biggest challenge today is just plain awareness. It’s an awareness that Pixel even exists.Mike Abary, Google

However, competing with established premium players in a price-sensitive market like India is not going to be easy for Google. Top players like vivo, Xiaomi, and OPPO not only offer aggressively priced devices but also have a widespread retail presence, making them more accessible to Indian consumers. Meanwhile, Samsung and Apple benefit from strong brand loyalty and the popularity of their older flagship models, which still provide great value for money.

Amid the highly competitive landscape, Google is banking big on its ownership of features and the Tensor chip to differentiate itself from other premium phone makers in the country. “Pixel was built to deliver the best of Google,” Abary emphasized. With Google’s proprietary Tensor processor and deep AI integration, Abary believes Google can provide a unique, seamless experience that competitors cannot copy.

That said, the executive acknowledged that Google’s biggest challenge in India right now is plain awareness. “It’s an awareness that Pixel even exists. We know that’s one of our biggest challenges, that’s why we know that we have to invest deeper, and further, and more consistently,” he said.

Addressing the lack of Pixel-exclusive features

Andy Walker / Android Authority

One of the biggest peeves Indian consumers have with Google is the absence of certain Pixel-exclusive features that are available in other markets like the US.

Google is actively working to bring missing Pixel-exclusive features to India.

Features like Call Screening and Spam Detection, which have the potential to have a radical impact and set Google apart from other phone makers in India, have yet to make their way to the region. Abary acknowledged this gap and reassured that Google is actively working to bring these functionalities to India.

“It is not lost on us that we need to make sure that we bring this capability to India, and we have plans to do that. The delay is less about technical challenges and more about policy-related hurdles, which we are working to address.”

Google Store coming to India?

Google has also been expanding its retail and support infrastructure in India. While Abary remained tight-lipped about Google-owned retail stores reportedly opening in the country, he confirmed that the company has been steadily growing its offline presence and will continue to do so.

“We had been with Flipkart exclusively. Last year, we expanded that to include both Croma and Reliance. We started off modestly because we felt like we needed to do this in a way that made sense to both the partners and to us. But now, we’re in over 150 Croma and Reliance stores around the country. We have very big plans to expand beyond this footprint,” he said, stopping short of confirming upcoming Google stores in India.

Google is internally discussing expanding first-party repair outlets in India.

Additionally, Google has taken steps to improve after-sales services, a long-standing gripe for Indian consumers. The company recently opened two first-party walk-in service centers in Bengaluru and Delhi, with a third planned for Mumbai.

“Consumers visiting these centers are getting a higher level of support, including same-day repairs and white-glove service. We are maintaining a massive parts inventory to ensure that even older Pixel models are well-supported,” Abary noted.

He revealed that Google is also internally discussing expanding these first-party repair outlets based on the success of the newly expanded centers.

The smart home strategy

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

Beyond smartphones, Google’s presence in the Indian smart home market has been inconsistent, and Abary acknowledged this during our chat. He said that when it comes to specific products like security cameras, Google remains cautious about entering India’s highly competitive market.

“The camera category in India is abundant with many competitors across various price points. Just being another camera on the shelf wasn’t adding enough value to the Indian consumer,” Abary admitted.

Similarly, Google has yet to introduce its latest streaming devices in India despite a clear demand for them. While Abary confirmed that the Google TV Streamer will not land in the country, he admitted that his team had not previously considered the poor software experience of aging smart TVs as a reason to push for its standalone streamers.

“You’re giving me something to think about. This dimension of input is one that our team has not looked at before. So, it’s a possibility,” he said, leaving the door open for future developments in this category of Google devices.

Despite multiple challenges, including making Pixels better value for Indian consumers, Google’s continued efforts and future plans indicate that the region can expect more focused attention from the company in the coming years.