Even as the Finnish handset maker Nokia is facing tough competition, it is still the most trusted and popular brand among Indian customers as it topped 'The Handset Hotlist' for July 2011, according to a survey.

As many as 12 handsets of Nokia made it to the list of 25 most exciting mobile phones, that were searched and viewed the most by consumers online, the survey by 'The Mobile Indian' website said.

Samsung was second with six of its models, including one CDMA phone, making it to the list. While Micromax and Sony Ericsson stood at the third position with two of their models figuring in the list, a model each from Dell, HTC and iPhone completed the list of 25 most exciting handsets, the survey added.

"The Handset Hotlist will give marketers a monthly insight into changing consumer preferences," The Mobile Indian Director Sreekant Khandekar said.

Nokia C5-03, priced at Rs 8,600, was the most searched for and viewed handset, followed by Nokia C6 (Rs 12,200) at the second spot, the survey revealed. It was followed by another stablemate Nokia X7 priced at Rs 18,000.

Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 priced at Rs 14,700 was at number four, followed by Nokia X3-02 (Rs 7,500).

Interestingly, the list is dominated by international brands and barring Micromax none of the popular Indian brands features in the top 25, the survey revealed.

Apart from Nokia and Samsung, the only other brand to feature in the top 10 is Micromax whose models A70 and X560 figure at eighth position and tenth positions respectively, the survey added.

"Presumably, buyers of handsets marketed by Indian players, who usually make low-cost mobile phones, tend to seek information from the dealer rather than surf for information online," Khandekar said.

Interestingly, consumer interest is not dictated by price, though Nokia Oro and iPhone priced at Rs 50,000 and Rs 34,000 respectively, they rub shoulders with Nokia X2-01 which costs a mere Rs 3,500, As many as 17 of the handsets are priced below Rs 10,000, the survey said.

"Blackberry is a notable absentee too, probably because the models are few and potential buyers of the brand know what they want. Also, many get a Blackberry on office account and have a lower need to check for it online," Khandekar added.