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Along with wireless networks and geeky tech specs, the apps available for a smartphone have become a major product differentiator. That’s why news that Google’s Android platform hit 100,000 apps on Monday sent such waves through the tech world, with dozens of blogs weighing in.

Apple has been the undisputed leader in apps, and the company’s App Store still offers nearly three times as many mobile applications as Google’s Android Market — with an estimated 280,000 of these programs, according to CNNMoney.

But Android’s rapid growth has some techsters predicting a coup.

Here’s the blog GigaOm’s breakdown of the numbers:

“This puts Android Market on a solid growth pace, although it still trails Apple’s App Store by a wide margin. Apple’s App Store, which opened July 10, 2008, hit 100,000 apps in 482 days while the Android Market took 733 days to reach the same point after launching on Oct. 22 in 2008. Apple still has a considerable amount of momentum, making it difficult for any competitor to catch up to.”

Despite that outlook, Computerworld lists five reasons Android is sure to take down Apple as the leader in mobile apps.

Among the reasons: Android is starting to gain favor with the people who create apps, which could lead to a more interesting app store in the future.

More on that from Computerworld:

“Apple doesn’t just censor apps — it also sets draconian rules about what types of development tools developers are allowed to use to build apps. With Android, there are no such rules. Openness will win.”

PCWorld, however, notes that Apple’s App Store may be more lucrative, at least for now, for these app developers:

“Android developers have been slower to bring their programs to market than their Apple counterparts. While it has taken 20 months for the Android Marketplace to hit 100K, Apple’s App Store did it in 16 months. That may not be surprising to some observers. Selling apps for Android hasn’t had the monetary rewards selling them for Apple’s mobile products has had for some developers.”

Of course, there are other mobile operating systems besides those from Google and Apple. BlackBerry still leads the smartphone market in the U.S., and Nokia, with the Symbian operating system, is the worldwide leader.

But, at least in the United States, Google and Apple continue to battle it out to offer the coolest, most-forward-thinking smartphones on the market. Apps are sure to be a big part of the fight.