Apple iPhone #1 Amongst U.S. Consumers in Q3 2008

[edesignuk]

According to a report from NPD, sales of cellphones have shifted in a manner which should shock and stun even a casual observer. Apparently for the first time in years, Motorola's ubiquitous RAZR has been overtaken in consumer sales... by the iPhone 3G. This is a watershed moment for handset sales in the US, marking not only a shift away from the dominant market leader, but a turn towards more complex, full-featured devices. The news comes hot on the heels of NPD's previous findings, which still placed the RAZR in the top spot -- though with ever-decreasing numbers. In that same report, the iPhone found itself in second place, but it appears that flagging interest in the inescapable dumbphone coupled with the recent iPhone PR blitz have put Apple's moneymaker into the top position. The news is also buoyed by recent reports that Apple has overtaken RIM as the number two smartphone vendor, and a J.D. Power study which found affection for the device waxing in the extreme. Overall, however, handset sales fell 15 percent year-over-year, and LG managed to snag the top brand position, with two models in the top five. Still, if there already wasn't a clear indication of the market moving towards both smartphones and touchscreen devices, this should give everyone a clearer picture of both the public's wants, and the power of Cupertino's ad-men. Full PR after the break.

Engadget.

[Schtumple]

Only a matter of time really if motos sales were falling, I can't see the iPhone holding the top spot for too long. Everyones geared at taking their pot shot at it now.

[MacRumors]

The NPD Group issued a press release today revealing that the Apple iPhone is now ranked #1 in consumer phone sales for the 3rd quarter of 2008. The iPhone surpassed Motorola's RAZR phone which had been ranked #1 for the previous 12 quarters.

"The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality," said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD. "Four of the five best-selling handsets in the third quarter were optimized for messaging and other advanced Internet features."

NPD bases their data on online surveys each month that are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers age 18 and over.

The iPhone and RAZR were followed by the RIM Blackberry Curve, LG Rumor and LG enV2 in the top 5 ranking.



Article Link: Apple iPhone #1 Amongst U.S. Consumers in Q3 2008

[gkarris]

No surprises here. Would like to see the AT&T exclusivity go away, but highly unlikely now...

[calisurfboy]

Still no cut, copy, paste, video recording, or ability to send photos to people through a multimedia text message....... we are all lemmings jumping off a cliff. Its sad... oh so sad...... at this rate Apple can bring back and make cassettes popular again and overcome CD's. Sure it is a step in the wrong direction but apparently its what consumers and apple want.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by calisurfboy

Still no cut, copy, paste, video recording, or ability to send photos to people through a multimedia text message....... we are all lemmings jumping off a cliff. Its sad... oh so sad...... at this rate Apple can bring back and make cassettes popular again and overcome CD's. Sure it is a step in the wrong direction but apparently its what consumers and apple want.

The iPhone has just passed the RAZR which is a phone that:

1) Does not have copy/paste
2) Has video recording that is so poor it's not worth using.
3) Sends MMS photos that are so small and blurry that an e-mailed iPhone photo feels like an amazing step up.

I'm not arguing that the iPhone is missing the featuers you say. It does. My point is that since the RAZR was so successful with these lame features and now the iPhone is knocking it off the list with similarly lame features apparently people just don't CARE about these things.

It's nice that you do, but the numbers don't lie. This stuff just doesn't matter to most people.

[ilfn143]

hey the instink is not on the list... i thought they sold out at every sprint store

[rlmccormick]

The wife and I were in a Care Now (urgent care clinic) yesterday and I glanced around the waiting room and all but 2 people in the waiting room had either an iPhone or iPod Touch in hand. It's amazing how popular these devices have gotten.

[franzmueller]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

The iPhone has just passed the RAZR which is a phone that:

1) Does not have copy/paste
2) Has video recording that is so poor it's not worth using.
3) Sends MMS photos that are so small and blurry that an e-mailed iPhone photo feels like an amazing step up.

I'm not arguing that the iPhone is missing the featuers you say. It does. My point is that since the RAZR was so successful with these lame features and now the iPhone is knocking it off the list with similarly lame features apparently people just don't CARE about these things.

It's nice that you do, but the numbers don't lie. This stuff just doesn't matter to most people.

4) A crappy 1,3 mpx camera
5) Terrible UI

[PDXoPDX]

So undeserved. I've had horrible experience with Apple's service and I'm an ex-iPhone user now. With each tick up in market-share Apple is becoming more and more like any other corporation out for a buck. Way to value those who helped put you there. Shame on you Apple!

[fastbite]

I had a RAZR, worst piece of junk I have ever owned. On the other hand the iPhone still makes me smile every time I flick it to life.

[Mal]

I have a RAZR now (can't afford an iPhone, especially the extra $70 in monthly charges over what I'm paying now for my wife and I, even if she didn't get an iPhone), and it's got the best features of any phone I've owned previously and works acceptably well. I'm not surprised it sold so well for so long. However, when you compare the usability to an iPhone, it looks like a preschool toy. The iPhone has really earned that top spot in the market.

jW

[OS X Dude]

Originally Posted by PDXoPDX

So undeserved. I've had horrible experience with Apple's service and I'm an ex-iPhone user now. With each tick up in market-share Apple is becoming more and more like any other corporation out for a buck. Way to value those who helped put you there. Shame on you Apple!

+1

And when the fad that is this global Apple obsession passes (it will, look at Sony's Walkman range, from hero to zero) guess who they'll come crying back to....

And guess who won't be a fool a second time!

[imwoblin]

I know I must not get out too often, but I only have 2 friends with iPhones (not counting me) and I have a RAZR as a backup and it is a great phone and pretty much indestructible (dropped mine in the sink full of water and it still works).
Almost everyone I know has owned or does currently own a RAZR or one of its offshoots, I just don't see that many iPhones in circulation...

[firewood]

Originally Posted by PDXoPDX

I've had horrible experience with Apple's service and I'm an ex-iPhone user now.

Remember that a 95% satisfaction rate would leave about 500,000 PO'd customers out of 10M.

One could always switch to another device, but most of those have a lower satisfaction rate, and an even higher failure rate. So most people won't be as lucky as you switching, and may well switch back.

.

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by imwoblin

and I have a RAZR as a backup and it is a great phone and pretty much indestructible

My problem with the RAZR was its battery life. Yes, it's better than the iPhone's battery life, but the RAZR isn't doing e-mail, web, applications, or showing a huge display screen. It's just a short-lived battery.

I have to charge my iPhone every day and my wife has to charge her RAZR every day. Why should she be on the same charging plan as me when her phone does SO much less?

The phone I had before my iPhone looked like this:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/ph...4/12402161.jpg

I charged that thing about one night per week. With the iPhone I lost that but I gained so much more. How much more does the RAZR do that it justfies such a lame battery life?

[pismodude2]

That's right! Suck it WinMotorolAcer!

[bigmc6000]

Originally Posted by firewood

Remember that a 95% satisfaction rate would leave about 500,000 PO'd customers out of 10M.

Not necessarily. Just because I'm not 100% happy with my iPhone doesn't mean I'm PO'd. As my CEO just told us in a meeting the other day - "I'd like to get to 90% would recommend working here to a friend, I know 10% of you just don't care and that's fine so I think 90% would be a great number"

You have to realize there are some people that even if they love their iPhone 99.9% of the time they'll still b!tch and moan about that .1% even tho 99.9 is a massive upgrade from a previous phone.

[SimonTheSoundMa]

RAZR is a big seller in the USA?

What the? It's one of the worst phone on the market. People in the UK hate them. Hard to use, poor features and break very easy.

[lkrupp]

Originally Posted by PDXoPDX

So undeserved. I've had horrible experience with Apple's service and I'm an ex-iPhone user now. With each tick up in market-share Apple is becoming more and more like any other corporation out for a buck. Way to value those who helped put you there. Shame on you Apple!

It would appear the FUD you and your ilk spew is not having the desired effect. I guess you need to try harder or just go away.

[CaptainCaveMann]

What about all the consumers under 18? I know a lot of young adults under 18 who have iPhones. If you included those numbers, I'll bet it would be off the chart.

[czachorski]

Originally Posted by Engadget

Still, if there already wasn't a clear indication of the market moving towards both smartphones and touchscreen devices, this should give everyone a clearer picture of both the public's wants, and the power of Cupertino's ad-men.

.....and Apple's design abilities.

[ObsidianIce]

Originally Posted by PDXoPDX

So undeserved. I've had horrible experience with Apple's service and I'm an ex-iPhone user now. With each tick up in market-share Apple is becoming more and more like any other corporation out for a buck. Way to value those who helped put you there. Shame on you Apple!

Sorry to hear that, sucks you had a bad experience, but rather hard to say it's undeserved. When there's a susbstantial amount of data saying otherwise. Not trivializing your issue....just keeping it in perspective.

[sterlingindigo]

Just upgraded my iPhone to 3G over the weekend...and lov'n it.

[dextertangocci]

The world's best phone deserves the number one spot.