Apple grabs bigger slice of smartphone pie

The report placed the iPhone in the top spot among the four best-selling smartphones based on unit sales to customers from June through August. Research In Motion's Blackberry Curve and Pearl handsets came in second and third, respectively, with the Palm Centro ranked at No. 4. The report is based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer surveys.

NPD also found that most iPhone 3G purchases are made in Apple stores rather than carrier stores, where most handsets are generally bought, said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for The NPD Group.

"The iPhone 3G's user interface and its solid design really drive sales. The (US)$199 price is what largely drove the sales increase from the original iPhone to the 3G model," Rubin told MacNewsWorld.

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