According to The NPD Group, Apple's iPhone 3G surpassed the top-ranked Motorola
RAZR as the leading handset purchased by adult consumers in the U.S.
in the third quarter (Q3) of 2008.
The top handset models in rank order, based on unit sales in Q3, were
as follows:
1. Apple iPhone 3G
2. Motorola RAZR V3 (all models)
3. RIM
Blackberry Curve (all models)
4. LG Rumor
5. LG enV2
RAZR was ranked by NPD as the
top-selling consumer handset for the past 12 quarters. Even with
stronger consumer sales of iPhone, and the mobile phone market's normal
seasonal uplift after Q2, domestic handset purchases by adult consumers
declined 15 percent year over year in Q3 to 32 million units. Consumer
handset sales revenue fell 10 percent to $2.9 billion, even as the
average selling price (ASP) rose 6 percent to $88.
When it comes to the specific features that motivated U.S. consumers
to purchase:
- 43 percent of handset buyers cited the need for a camera
- 36 percent noted the ability to send and receive text messages.
"A growing data divide continues in cellular handsets," Rubin
said. "Those who see the value in wireless Internet access are
justifying the investment, whereas voice-centric users have little
incentive to upgrade, which is obviously detrimental to operators who
seek to sell data plans and media access services to their
subscribers."
Mobile phones with a QWERTY keyboard experienced the greatest
year-over-year rise in sales; 30 percent of handsets were sold with
this feature in Q3 2008, versus just 11 percent the year prior. Also
this quarter 83 percent of phones purchased were Bluetooth enabled
(versus 72 percent last year), and nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) of
phones purchased in Q3 were music enabled (versus 49 percent last
year).
Methodology: NPD compiles and analyzes mobile device
sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer
research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced
and demographically representative sample of U.S. adults. Results are
projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers age 18
and older.