Nokia N900 to receive boost from Qt port to Maemo 5

The Nokia N900 smartphone will soon benefit from the ability to port applications easier.

Nokia announced that it will be porting the Qt framework to its Maemo 5 operating system, which may see the number of apps for the device increase.

Designed to specifically work within the Maemo 5 environment, the Qt port will power the upcoming device and is based on the Qt’s upcoming version of 4.6.

It is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of next year. It will also support the upcoming Maemo 6, Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms.

Qt can be used to create programs for desktop computers and mobiles, among other devices.

Sebastian Nystrom, vice-president of Application Services and Frameworks at Nokia, commented: “With this announcement and our upcoming port of Qt to the Symbian platform, we will quickly see Qt established as a leading framework for mobile application development.”

He added this would provide an opportunity for apps developers to produce a good selection for the Finnish firm’s devices, which will result in “powerful” creations.

The Nokia N900 portable PC and cell phone is set for release later this month in the UK.

Mobile apps have boomed in recent months thanks to the Apple iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch. Apple’s App Store has seen some two billion downloads in the last 14 months.

The Times recently published a list of the top ten iPhone apps that can save people money.

It included Red Laser, which scans barcodes to help consumers compare prices in supermarkets, the Mini Mortgage Manager, which monitors people’s home loans, and Currency, which provides up-to-date exchange rates.