As Google (NSDQ: GOOG) prepares to make a significant announcement at its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. this morning, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) tried to make news of its own by saying that more than three billion apps have been downloaded from the iTunes App Store. Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs said: “Three billion applications downloaded in less than 18 months—this is like nothing we’ve ever seen before…, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon.”

Roughly three months ago, Apple said on Sept. 28 that users had downloaded more than two billion apps since the store launched in July 2008. At the time, it said there were more than 85,000 apps available. Apple did not update that figure today.