Yes, that’s right, billion with a B! Apple today announced the astonishing news that more than three billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store by iPhone and iPod touch owners in 77 countries throughout the world.

“Three billion applications downloaded in less than 18 months - this is like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” said an understandably happy Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “The revolutionary App Store offers iPhone and iPod touch users an experience unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon.”

He’s certainly got that right! I really can’t see anyone else catching them up right now, especially when you think that it was only in September 2009 that Apple celebrated two billion App Store downloads. Will certainly be interesting to see how quickly they get to that next milestone of four billion.