Google on Wednesday launched its digital pockets in India with native integrations, practically two years after the app was relaunched as a digital pockets platform within the U.S.
As TechCrunch solely reported final month, Google Pockets will function in India alongside the prevailing Google Pay app, which can stay the corporate’s funds app within the nation. Google had changed its Pay app with Pockets within the U.S. in February.
“Google Pay is just not going anyplace. Google Pay is our main funds use case,” Ram Papatla, common supervisor and India engineering lead for Android at Google, stated at a press convention in New Delhi. “Pockets is particularly tailor-made for excited about the non-payment use instances.”
Google Pockets will let Android customers in India retailer and entry their boarding passes, reward playing cards, occasion tickets, and loyalty passes. You may add all of this by a QR code, barcode or hyperlink shared by Gmail, or through the use of a devoted Add to Google Pockets button obtainable on associate apps.
The app will even retailer transit tickets and allow you to create passes from any photographs containing a barcode or QR code, resembling airline boarding passes, baggage tags or parking receipts.
Initially, Google Pockets will work with 20 manufacturers, together with PVR Inox, Flipkart, Air India, MakeMyTrip, Pine Labs and Ixigo. It has additionally onboarded native transport operators resembling Kochi Metro, Hyderabad Metro, VRL Travels and Abhibus. Moreover, the corporate has partnered with system integrators Wavelynx and Alert Enterprise to let customers retailer and entry their company badges.
Android continues to dominate the smartphone market in India, with a 93% market share, per newest Counterpoint knowledge shared with TechCrunch. In 2023, out of the 152 million smartphones shipped within the nation, 140 million ran Android. Smartphone penetration charge for the 12 months was 70%, up from 66% in 2021, the market analysis agency stated.
All this provides Google a strong motive to launch Pockets in India. Nevertheless, it could face competitors from Samsung Pockets, which the South Korean firm provides as a one-stop digital pockets and funds app. Apple additionally has its Pockets app for iPhone customers within the nation, although that app doesn’t have many native integrations. On the spot messaging app WhatsApp additionally gives the flexibility to get digital boarding passes and transit tickets from platforms like MakeMyTrip and state metro prepare operators.
