[Vincent Ferrari]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/27646992?sr=hotnews

"NPD reports that the 3G version of the iPhone surpassed Motorola's RAZR as the leading handset purchased by adult consumers during the third quarter in the United States. That'd be a big deal no matter when it happened, but it ends RAZR's 12-quarter winning streak as the nation's top handset. Not surpassed by BlackBerry (#3), or some offering from LG (#4 and #5), but iPhone. "The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality," says NPD's director of industry analysis Ross Rubin in a release this morning."

Let's be honest about something.  We all knew that some phone at some point would replace the RAZR.  It's been the number one phone on the market for so long it's hard to remember what the number one phone was before it (although I'd hazard a guess that it was some model of the StarTac, another Motorola property).  The fact that the iPhone 3G is the phone to unseat the RAZR says two things to me.

Firstly, people aren't buying solely on price anymore, or the RAZR would be whipping the iPhone all the way around the block.

Secondly, people aren't interested in limited feature set phones to the degree they were a few years ago.

When you combine these two things, plus a great overall device that has a positive aura around it, it's hard to make the case that this isn't exactly what was "supposed" to happen; the only surprise being it happened this quick.

Anyone else as surprised and not surprised about this as I was?

[Vincent Ferrari]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/27646992?sr=hotnews

"NPD reports that the 3G version of the iPhone surpassed Motorola's RAZR as the leading handset purchased by adult consumers during the third quarter in the United States. That'd be a big deal no matter when it happened, but it ends RAZR's 12-quarter winning streak as the nation's top handset. Not surpassed by BlackBerry (#3), or some offering from LG (#4 and #5), but iPhone. "The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality," says NPD's director of industry analysis Ross Rubin in a release this morning."

Let's be honest about something.  We all knew that some phone at some point would replace the RAZR.  It's been the number one phone on the market for so long it's hard to remember what the number one phone was before it (although I'd hazard a guess that it was some model of the StarTac, another Motorola property).  The fact that the iPhone 3G is the phone to unseat the RAZR says two things to me.

Firstly, people aren't buying solely on price anymore, or the RAZR would be whipping the iPhone all the way around the block.

Secondly, people aren't interested in limited feature set phones to the degree they were a few years ago.

When you combine these two things, plus a great overall device that has a positive aura around it, it's hard to make the case that this isn't exactly what was "supposed" to happen; the only surprise being it happened this quick.

Anyone else as surprised and not surprised about this as I was?

[ucfgrad93]

From what I've been reading is that there is a huge surge in the number of smartphones being sold. I think that this is being encouraged by the wireless providers so they can push expensive data plans. I love my iPhone and doubt I would ever go back to a dumb or feature phone.

[Macguy59]

Expect another presser from Ballmer tomorrow about how "irrelevant" this is.

[Vincent Ferrari]

I think Ballmer would be in full extended-tongue mode if ANY Windows Mobile device even cracked this list. Microsoft loves to point out that they have way more licenses out there than any other OS, and that's all well and good, but Windows Mobile devices have only gained minimal general market acceptance. I like WinMo, but to say Microsoft has handled it poorly is the understatement of the year.