To celebrate the 10 billionth app download from Android Market, Google is offering some premium Android apps for as little as 10p/10c (plus tax). These premium apps would usually cost substantially more but for a limited time period Android users can download them at a fraction of the cost.

The apps on offer include some of the most popular apps on the Android platform including SoundHound, Swiftkey X and popular games like Minecraft and Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD.

The ten selected apps and games will be available for just 10p for the next ten days. After that period people can still keep the apps without paying the full price that is normally charged for them. The selection of apps also includes some apps and games for kids, including Color and Draw for Kids and SketchBook Mobile.

Although the selection is fairly limited I did find myself enjoying the chance to get Minecraft at a budget price – a game that kept me awake until 4 am this morning no less. With most Android users less inclined to pay for apps than iPhone users, this has come as a great opportunity for many people to enjoy some titles that they might otherwise be deterred from downloading.

Some people are questioning Google’s intentions though, suggesting that the company is trying to get people to move away from free apps and enter their credit card details into Google Checkout. But really, who cares about the reasons when you can get some excellent premium apps and games at such a low cost.

The news of the 10 billionth Android Market download means that Android is quickly catching up with Apple’s App Store, which reached the same milestone in January 2011. Although Apple have since surpassed 15 billion app downloads the gap is only going to get narrower with a string of Ice Cream Sandwich Android phones due for release at the start of 2012.

Some of the most eagerly anticipated of these include the Samsung Galaxy S3, successor to the bestselling Android phone of this year (and all time) and the HTC Edge, which will most likely be the first smartphone to feature a quad-core processor.