As per the most recent statistics by the portal and applications tracker AndroLib, Google's Android Market, which has increased almost two-fold over the past five months, has crossed the 20,000 applications mark, with the distribution of more than 20,140 applications, as on Tuesday!

AndroLib specified that while nearly 62 percent of those applications were 'free', 38 percent were 'paid.'

Even though the 20,000-apps achievement still has the Android Market lagging notably behind the dominant Apple App Store, which crossed the 100,000-apps mark last month, its steady progress is a clear indicator that it is set for an 'explosive' growth in the coming year.

Going by the estimated projections for the next year, the number of Apple iPhone apps would likely increase to 300,000; while the Android Market will probably count close to 50,000.

With 12 Android-based devices currently available in 26 countries on 32 carriers, AndroLib noted that, during November, Google's Android Market witnessed the maximum addition of software added, especially around the time when Motorola's Droid smartphone was released.

The AndroLib figures clearly corroborate an earlier-this-year statement by the Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who had predicted the Android's growth would be substantial - with the 'hottest' smartphones running on the Android mobile operating system by fall.

Furthermore, at Google's last earnings conference call, Schmidt said: "Android adoption is about to explode. You have all the necessary conditions."