Yesterday, AndroLib noted that the Android Market had recently surpassed 20,000 applications. Not so, says Google. What's behind the 4,000 missing Android apps?AndroLib uses its own statistical methods to gather information from web sites for its clients. It says that the number of free and for-pay applications available in the Android Market amounts to more than 20,000.

A nice round figure if I may say so. However, the number may not be accurate. Google reached out to TechCrunch (which originally published the story) with a correction. According to Google, the real number of apps in the Android Market is just over 16,000 -- a pretty big difference from what AndroLib believes is the right number.

TechCrunch contacted AndroLib and asked what's up. AndroLib thinks there are three possible reasons for the big discrepancy. First, Google is only counting applications that are available in the U.S. Two, Googie is only fessing up to the official number of apps tallied on November 30. Three -- my favorite -- "[Google simply didn't do the best job possible counting the apps by not including the correct number of apps removed from the Android Market after publication, either by Google or by the app developer."

Wow, AndroLib just said Google doesn't know how to count. I think a few engineers over there might consider that a major insult.

Right now, Google says 16,000 and AndroLib says 20,000. How many are there for real? Well, who want's to help Google and AndroLib count?