Web search giant Google has announced that it has surpassed the 25 billion mark for apps downloaded from Google Play.   

In celebration of this milestone the company is offering some discounted offers on Google Play. Android mobile device users will be able to choose from a collection of apps from developers the likes of Gameloft, EA, and Rovio (Angry Birds), all for just $0.25 (around R2). Google will also be offering special collections, including 25 must-own movies, 25 banned books, and 25 music albums that changed the world, all at special discounted rates.

Beyond this milestone, Google also revealed that there are now 675 000 apps and games available on Google Play, up from 600 000 in June. With this total, the firm is closing in on Apple’s App Store, which currently houses north of 700 000 applications, with more than 250 000 of these being iPad specific apps.

“Twenty-five billion is more than twice the distance, in miles, that the Voyager 1 spacecraft has travelled since its launch 35 years ago. It’s the amount of time, in minutes, that have passed since some of our earliest ancestors began to set foot in Europe. And now, thanks to all of you, it’s a Google Play milestone. We look forward to the next 25 billion,” a post by Jamie Rosenberg, Google director for Digital Content, read.

In other Google related news, the company recently acquired VirusTotal, a free web-based service that analyses suspicious files and URLs, and in addition facilitates the quick detection of viruses, worms, trojans, as well as all other types of malware.