While there are lots of ways to measure the popularity and success of the iPhone (webpage marketshare, sales numbers, etc) PED from Apple 2.0 has a graphic which puts the stratospheric rise of the iPhone over the past two years into perspective. Google Trends of the term iPhone vs. Blackberry, vs. Windows Mobile..you get it:
It says almost as much, if not more about the iPhone brand's strength as it does about the sales numbers.