Marketplace app count has jumped significantly, as well, moving from 1000 last month to the current 3000.
Says Todd Brix, Group Product Planner for the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft (via WR):
"Clearly we’re just getting warmed up. We know that many Windows Phone developers have gone to great lengths to ensure that their apps and games are in Windows Phone Marketplace this holiday season…We’re heading into one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year and we’re on pace to offer roughly 3,000 apps and games by the end of this week."
As a way to promote the apps, Microsoft says Bing Visual search will prominently list WP7 games and apps.
Earlier this week, ChevronWP7 hit the net, giving users a chance to unlock their phone and install homebrew or unsigned apps.