Apple’s App Store: 15,000 apps. Google’s Android Marketplace: 800 apps.

During its fourth quarter earnings call today, Google revealed that the Android Marketplace, its app store, has 800 applications now available. While that’s almost double the less than 500 apps available in early December, it’s still laughably behind Apple’s App Store, which now boasts over 15,000 apps.

Google didn’t go into download numbers for the 800 apps, but you can bet that’s only because the number would look even worse when compared to Apple’s 500 million downloads of iPhone apps so far.

We’ve previously covered why there’s likely such a distance between the two app stores, but such a staggering difference has to make you wonder once again if Android will be able to catch up. The good news is, we should know soon. With paid applications set to launch in the Android Marketplace any time now, that should definitely spur development on the platform.

Likewise, there are rumored to be dozens of new phones running Android coming out this year all around the world. Potential reach and, as a result, potential money seem to be the two biggest factors in Apple’s App Store success so far. After all, why else would we see hundred of farting applications on that platform while, as far as I know, there are none on Android’s so far?

Android better hurry in boosting its Marketplace soon, app stores from BlackBerry, Microsoft and Palm all appear to be just around the corner.