Netbiscuits has identified a significant issue for brands working on the mobile web, finding some 3,455 different handset and operating system combinations are being used to get online.

While the top 10 devices worldwide account for 48 per cent traffic on its platform, 52 per cent are less obvious combinations, making it difficult for brands to deliver a consistent experience for users.

Legacy devices actually dominate the top 10, with the iPhone 4S running iOS 6 in at number one globally, followed by the iPhone 4 on iOS 6 and then the Samsung Galaxy S3. The iPhone 5 did not make the top 10.

Android is absent from the top 10 devices in Australia, while the BlackBerry 8520, launched in 2009, is the top device in the UK on the Netbiscuits platform. The iPad 2 also makes it into the top 10, along with the BlackBerry 9300. While the Canadian company is clearly experiencing problems in its current strategy, it has a large install base here.

The fragmentation of Android means that while the OS takes the largest share, increasing by 2 per cent to 45.7 per cent, Apple has the largest number of handsets, at 37 per cent. This is followed by Samsung on 27 per cent.

“The average lifespan of a device is much longer than many companies think,” said Michael Neidhoefer, CEO, Netbiscuits, “and although the newest devices do eventually catch up in terms of consumer usage, it would be unwise to abandon testing on ‘older’ devices because consumers are using them the most.

“Companies that are only testing their websites on the latest gadgets are actually ignoring the majority of their users and are failing to understand the diversity of devices in the market, the complexity of device adoption and the number of people already accessing the web through established channels.”

The company analysed billions of content requests made on its platform for the quarterly web trends report and found that