iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS Still Most Popular Smartphone In U.S., NPD Says

On Monday, market research firm NPD announced that the iPhone 4 has held its position as the most popular smartphone in the United States.

According to NPD's third quarter report, smartphone sales now command 59 percent of all mobile phone sales, which is an increase of 13 percent from this time last year. This is up 5 percent from the first quarter, when smartphone sales outpaced feature phones for the first time ever.

Although, according to a recent Gartner study, cellphone sales are down overall. Global mobile sales only grew at 5.6 percent this quarter, down sharply from 16.5 percent in the previous quarter. Gartner predicts that this slowdown will be relatively short-lived, and should turnaround by mid-2012.

Cellphone sales may be slowing for the time being, but Android continues to dominate in terms of smartphone operating systems. The global market share of Google's mobile OS doubled in the third quarter. Currently, more than 50 percent of smartphone owners have an Android phone.

Android's dominance was also apparent in NPD's results. While the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS took the top two spots in terms of sales, the rest of the most popular phones were all powered by the little green robot.

Check out the most popular smartphones, as listed by NPD:

1. Apple iPhone 4
2. Apple iPhone 3GS
3. HTC EVO 4G
4. Motorola Droid 3
5. Samsung Intensity II

As Yoni Heisler of Network World points out, it's interesting that an old iPhone like the 3GS (released in 2009) is still more popular than brand-new Android phones like the recently released Droid 3.

This may be because when it comes to Android, people are more loyal to the platform than they are to the phone itself. In terms of operating systems, NPD's first quarter rankings are the same as the current quarter's, but there was a reshuffling when it came to which Android phones were the most popular. The Droid X and HTC Droid Incredible dropped off the list and were replaced by the Droid 3 and Samsung Intensity II.

Of course, loyalty to Apple handsets is a necessity since only five have been made. Android offers at least 70 different handset options.

One reason smartphones might be becoming increasingly popular is that their prices continue to drop. For four consecutive quarters, smartphone prices have gone down, and these feature-rich phones now sell for $135 on average, based on NPD's report. Even Apple, whose products are notoriously expensive, now sells the iPhone 4 for just $99.

Comments

[Cailleach Echo]

10:54 AM on 11/16/2011

I liked my iPhone until it started having problems. It got to the point that I couldn't even make a phone call! Apple charges for tech support and I hate AT&T so switched to CREDO. I now have the HTC Detail which is the EVO but without the second camera. The phone is excellent, CREDO is excellent, tech support is excellent, the cost is reasonable and I'm happy.

Having used both iPhone and Android, I'll take Android. It really is better.

If you're liberal, progressive, check out CREDO. If you're Repub/tp, forget it. You'll hate that they financially support human rights.

Whatever you do, stay away from Sprint. I was with them for less than two months and there was nothing they did didn't screw up. Don't believe anything they tell you and, they're extremely expensive.

[mayrose]

01:41 PM on 11/16/2011

Credo uses the Sprint network.

[Glenn Shank]

09:31 AM on 11/16/2011

i've downgraded to a cheap flip phone...i dunno if i could shuck out a few hundred and have my bill go up $30 for a new phone =(

[Daniel Ogden]

08:33 AM on 11/16/2011

Try them all, and make your own mind up.

[Daniel Ogden]

08:31 AM on 11/16/2011

I know there are a lot of Microsoft heters out there, but the HTC HD7 windows phone is by far the fastest, mst reliable phone out of all my friends. In our group we have the I phone of course, Android, and even the new samsung. I've always looked for the next new phone but I just won't since I got this windows 7 phone. I will look for new or next versions of the widows phone. My Wife recintly tried it and now I have to buy another one. No problem, it saves me from having to fix or send out her old phone. "haters at least try it". My 8 year old Daughter says it's the best phone and it's the only thing she wants for the Hollidays. She'll have to wait though.

[Thomas River]

07:45 AM on 11/16/2011

If you read the actual report, they make an observation that Samsung is the most frequently replaced smartphone. Of course, they don't tell you why. Are these people upgrading to other phones, or newer Samsungs. A good report would have taken the extra step.

[PhillyKing]

02:48 PM on 11/16/2011

there's a new samsung every other day...lol... i have the vibrant and love it, but there's the vibrant 4g, then the nexus s, then the galaxy s II and soon the nexus prime... i'm waiting on the nexus prime to upgrade, but they really need to slow down a bit.

[adanaparkar]

04:26 AM on 11/16/2011

i thinks no can defeat iphone!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bushisgone]

01:54 AM on 11/16/2011

I thought it was the JitterBug?

[Poiks]

12:01 AM on 11/16/2011

Warning: Approximately 90% of what you will read below was written by people who are waaaaaay too emotional about phones, and strangely obsessed with denigrating others.

[Smith1820]

01:01 AM on 11/16/2011

Very true. There is some string of logic that is subconsciously repeating over and over in their minds, "my cellphone defines who I am, without it I am nothing, with it I am the personification of it." People used to buy bigger cars when they felt the need to compensate, now they buy smart phones and fight each other 3rd grade style over who's could beat up theirs.

[Daniel Ogden]

08:32 AM on 11/16/2011

Thats Funny! but true. LOL

[TheNewShadeofBlue]

10:29 PM on 11/15/2011

Worldwide Samsung dominates. As much as I like my Apple products, I am hooked on the Android OS. It is great to be able to write your own programs and install them on your phone.

[JohnTheMac]

08:25 AM on 11/16/2011

"Worldwide Samsung dominates."

Interesting. Usually when someone or something 'dominates' , there is some benefit.
Can you list me 3 benefits for Samsung out of their market domination.
Same question for Android OS.
Thanks

[Steven Travis]

10:07 PM on 11/15/2011

Where do Blackberries fit in all this? I'm wondering how low down the rungs they've fallen.

[troll516]

09:38 PM on 11/15/2011

I like my new Razor Droid.

[TheNewShadeofBlue]

10:32 PM on 11/15/2011

I like it too but next year, it will be selling on AmazonWireless much less than the 299 tag on it. Once that price drops, I am so on it!!!

[Aldo Rodriguez]

11:59 PM on 11/15/2011

So, this isn't the Droid we're looking for?
(Sorry)

[Highball]

09:30 PM on 11/15/2011

No surprise there. This is something that anyone with a 1/4 brain could figure out.

Apple doesn't really care about market share. They don't care about all these numbers. They care about MINDshare, and they care about profits.

Right now, they dominate mindshare, and they dominate profits. There's really nothing else to worry about.

[plmyfinger]

05:37 PM on 11/15/2011

right,. but droid os has the market share

[theveggiedude]

06:56 PM on 11/15/2011

right, but Apple has 54% of all the profit

[inguatu]

07:05 PM on 11/15/2011

right but Apple are patent trolling douches with little to no innovation left.. Just because Apple is part of the 1% doesn't make them gods.

[plmyfinger]

10:36 AM on 11/16/2011

for now.. but that's a changin'

[JohnTheMac]

08:26 AM on 11/16/2011

There's no benefit to having a huge market share.
There IS a huge benefit to having a large profit share.

[plmyfinger]

10:36 AM on 11/16/2011

touche

[dakotanprudle]

05:34 PM on 11/15/2011

Wouldn't trade my Samsung galaxy ll for any iPhone! It makes the iPhone seem like a toy.

[JohnTheMac]

08:27 AM on 11/16/2011

I don't think you could trade it, you would have to add some money to your end of the deal, so relax.

[dakotanprudle]

03:10 AM on 11/17/2011

don't want to trade it, I'm not a sheep, I don't follow what other people may do or buy!

[JohnTheMac]

07:10 AM on 11/17/2011

"don't want to trade it,"

Well, first, I asked you to relax, and you only appear agitated.
Second, I'm assuring you that you couldn't simply trade it anyway. You would have to add some money on your side of the deal, unless you got real lucky. You should be happy about this.

" I'm not a sheep, I don't follow what other people may do or buy!"

So they must follow you? because all together you make over 50% of the market.
I'm out on my own, using a minor OS on my smartphone. This is helping me avoid malware that's targeted for the masses. Love my iPhone!

[landskroon]

05:28 PM on 11/15/2011

Funny stats, in most parts of the globe Samsung (slavery production ) has won. Oh eh Apples are also made under slavery conditions isn`t it?

[inguatu]

07:05 PM on 11/15/2011

not sure your point. So both phones are made under slavery. You figure that out all by yourself?

[landskroon]

03:18 AM on 11/16/2011

Have been in china a number of times, have spoken to people there, made pictures too. AQlso have some newspapers in my letterbox