NPD Group ranked Apple’s iPhone 3G as the leading handset purchased by US Adults during Q3 2008, surpassing the Motorola RAZR. RAZR had been ranked by NPD as the top-selling consumer handset for the past 12 quarters.

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

According to NPD’s press release, features US Consumers were after were Camera (43 percent of buyers), Send and Receive text messages (36 percent). This explains well why devices with QWERTY keyboards experience the greatest year-over-year growth in sales. Q3 2008 had 30 percent of devices with QWERTY keyboards, vs only 11 percent Q3 2007. Also this quarter 83 percent of phones purchased were Bluetooth enabled (versus 72 percent last year), and 68 percent of phones purchased in Q3 were music enabled (versus 49 percent last year).

“A growing data divide continues in cellular handsets,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD. “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.”