Since April, Web requests coming from an Android phone have increased almost six fold. 20% of all smartphone traffic comes from an Android device. 2 Android phones, the G1 and the HTC dream, are in the top 10 of devices purchased.

This is a boon for Android and if trends continue, Android will be the dominant player in the market for mobile devices.

Apple is not without options. Soon it can open up the monopoly AT&T has enjoyed and distribute its handset across multiple carriers. The iPhone, historically, has held the mindshare of the market.

Keep in mind too that Apple is more than just an iPhone company. With its rumored, “iPad,” coming next year, Apple will add yet another item to its stack of products . . . all designed to work together. And what ties them all together . . . iTunes.

iTunes is, historically, the most successful distribution model for downloading music. Consumers learned to use the “App Store,” by being conditioned to use iTunes for the iPod. As such, every mobile device is also judged by the power of its app store. In 2010, Apple is estimated have more than 300,000 “apps” available for download compared to around 100,000 available to Android. And every app is also another capability available for that platform.

And Apple has another product using the App Store than just the iPhone. According to Flurry’s Industry pulse, “it’s important to remember that the iPhone’s flank is protected by an often overlooked, powerful fighting brand: iPod Touch.” According to the study “24 million” of the 58 million Apple devices sold are the iPod Touch.

iTunes is a mammoth differentiator for Apple. It allows for the users to sync their devices and share information in a single household that includes music, photos, videos and data. And it is the single best reason why, if Apple can open up the device to more than one carrier, it will continue down its dominant path.

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