MacRumors.com

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.