Google is now activating 850 thousand Android devices a day, bringing the platform to some 300 million total devices — including 12 million tablets. That's according to Andy Rubin, who clarified the numbers in a meeting with reporters earlier today: he said that Google only counts activations once per device ID and doesn't "chop things up" when users reset or sell their phones. Devices like the Kindle Fire that don't include Google services aren't included in the numbers — Rubin said that Samsung's larger Galaxy Tabs are the most popular tablets counted. As far as apps, Rubin noted that there are now some 450 thousand apps in Android Market, up from 160 thousand a year ago.

Rubin also said that Nexus devices aren't huge sellers, but rather Google's attempt to "set the bar for what's possible" as he sees different technology trends intersect. Android wasn't built to "change the dynamics of the industry," he said, adding that his goal is for Android to be an ecosystem that enables phone manufacturers to build complete solutions. "I wasn't trying to go and commoditize a bunch of people and make all their products look the same."