iPhone 4 and 3GS were best-selling U.S. phones in Q3, despite age and slowdown

The top selling smartphones in Q3, via research firm NPD Group:

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

The iPhones topped the charts in Q2, too, but it’s interesting that they continued to lead in Q3 despite:

• Their age — the iPhone 4 was more than a year old and the iPhone 3GS was more than two years old at the beginning of Q3.
• The slowdown in Apple’s iPhone sales leading up to the iPhone 4S announcement and launch in October.

Takeaway: Even “disappointing” iPhone sales are still higher than everyone else’s.

Related: Apple’s 4-million-iPhone-4S weekend in context