The latest data from NPD group shows that Apple’s iPhone 3G surpassed the Motorola RAZR as the leading handset purchased by consumers in the US for Q3 2008. RAZR had been ranked top selling handset for past 12 quarters. Overall the handset purchases by consumers declined 15 percent year over year in Q3 to 32 million units and sales revenue fell 10 percent to $2.9 billion. The top handset models in rank order, based on unit sales in Q3 were as follows:

"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."
[Via NPD Group]