It's official: iPhone's App Store hits 100k apps

If the news gives you a case of deja vu, that's probably because third-party metrics sites were claiming the store had passed the 100k mark late last month.

"The App Store, now with over 100,000 applications available, is clearly a major differentiator for millions of iPhone and iPod touch customers around the world," says Phil Schiller, Apple's senior VP of worldwide product marketing.

There's no doubt that 100,000 apps is a resounding endorsement of iPhone and iPod touch by developers, and a powerful selling point for the devices.

That said, it also brings challenges for developers launching their apps into a crowded store.

It's no co-incidence that in its announcement of the milestone, Apple also highlights its recent moves to improve discoverability in the store, including its Genius for Apps recommendation tech and its editorial App Store Essentials roundups.

Other stats from the announcement: more than two billion push notifications have been sent by iPhone apps since the feature was introduced in the iPhone 3.0 software earlier this summer.

Meanwhile, developer Smule says it's been racking up 10,000 downloads a day of its I Am T-Pain music app on iPhone.

"The App Store has given us a unique opportunity to create and grow a very successful business, and we’re looking forward to an exciting future," says CEO Jeff Smith.

Story originally published on ME