Nokia and Samsung handsets have topped a list of the most popular mobile phones for browsing and buying on the mobile web worldwide.

The statistics, compiled by mobile internet provider Bango, show the Nokia 3110c in first place for mobile web access throughout the month of February, with the Samsung M800 and Nokia 6300 following in second and third place.

The research was compiled by monitoring consumer browsing on the mobile websites of major brands and businesses, as well as buy mobile content and services. Over the month, Bango identified 1811 different mobile handsets accessing the mobile internet, with smartphones accounting for 30 per cent of the handsets in the Top 20.

What's more, 11 out of the Top 20 handsets were Nokia devices, including the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic and the Nokia N95 8GB. New entrants included the BlackBerry 8330 Curve and BlackBerry 9530 Storm handsets from Research in Motion, which sit at 16th and 18th positions. However, much-lauded smartphones like the iPhone and T-Mobile G1 do not feature in Bango's Top 20.

Ray Anderson, CEO of Bango, said: "The iPhone has done a lot to encourage people to browse the internet on their phones. But to get the most out of their mobile marketing spend, companies who are riding the iPhone wave, attracted by its excellent features and user demographics, need to optimise their mobile websites for all phones - especially those in Bango's Top 20 list.

 "Without this, they will be missing out on the mass market." Mr Anderson urged mobile marketers to endeavour to better understand their users, and to utilise mobile analytics - like those provided by Bango - to make the best decisions about future mobile investments.