Apple has announced developers have created over 100,000 apps for iPhone and iPod touch.

The figures make Apple’s App Store the largest applications store worldwide and indicate the growing dominance of the phone. The news follows research by Millward Brown pointing to the iPhone becoming brand of choice for Australians. In September, Apple celebrated the two billionth app download.

“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,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. “The iPhone software development kit created the first great platform for mobile applications and our customers are loving all of the amazing apps our developers are creating.”

Pizza Hut has had exceptional success with their US iPhone app generating USD$1 million sales in three months.

“We always saw a steady level of growth with our mobile business via our WAP site, but to be candid it wasn’t the explosive level of growth we’ve seen with the iPhone app. iPhone applications capture consumers’ imagination in a way that WAP sites simply can’t do, so the decision to expand to the iPhone was as good one for us,” said Bernard Acoca, senior director of digital marketing, Pizza Hut.

A recent addition to free app functionality – In App Purchases – allows users to buy content, subscriptions and services which may have wide ranging effects on user behaviour and the perceived purpose of apps.

“The App Store has forever changed the mobile gaming industry and continues to improve,” said Travis Boatman, vice president of worldwide studios, EA Mobile. “With a global reach of over 50 million iPhone and iPod touch users, the App Store has allowed us to develop high quality EA games that have been a huge success with customers.”