New numbers from the NPD Group put the iPhone in sixth place in total mobile phone sales in the US for 2007, despite having only been on the market for half the year. The 3.7 million iPhones Apple reported shipping last year give it roughly 2.5% of the market that NPD figures at 146 million handsets.

A story on Electronista.com notes that there wasn't much change among the top players, with Motorola keeping a lock on the number-one spot with 32% of the US market. The only significant move, according to the NPD report, was Samsung sliding up to 17% and stealing the number-two slot from LG, which remained stagnant with 16%.

Add in Nokia and Sanyo in fourth and fifth place respectively and Apple took sixth place from...whom exactly? Reader comments on both Electronista and Ars Technica, which also picked up the story, note that "6th place" might sound impressive when you first hear it, but then ask: How many people can even name any other mobile phone makers?