NPD Group: iPhone 4, 3GS outsold Android phones in Q3

NPD's latest Mobile Phone Track service shows that Apple's iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS outsold other Android phones on the market in the US for the third calendar quarter of 2011 -- the same situation as results for the previous quarter. The iPhone 4 held the top spot, with Apple's two-year-old iPhone 3GS holding the second spot. It's no surprise the iPhone 4 claimed top spot, but it's a testament to how well the iPhone is revered among consumers that the iPhone 3GS -- which came out in 2009 –– outsold newer Android phones with higher screen resolutions and more processing power. The $49 price point through AT&T last quarter also must have helped.

Here's the entire top 5 list for the quarter that ended September 30th:

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

Results for this next quarter, which runs until December 31, will be very interesting to see. Given the strong sales of the iPhone 4S, the fact that the iPhone 4 is now only $99, and the fact that the iPhone 3GS is free on a two year contract, Apple may very well hold the top three spots when NPD announces its Mobile Phone Track results for Q4 sometime in January 2012.