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"I don't see anything in Android which would make it better than Linux maemo," Ukko Lappalainen, vice president at Nokia's markets unit, admitted in an interview on the sidelines of the Nokia World conference.

Linux's role in the handset industry is growing, most prominently with Google's introduction of its Android mobile platform, currently found in the T-Mobile G1.

However, Lappalainen says Nokia is likely to stick to its own Linux development. The company currently uses Linux maemo in its internet tablets, while it uses Symbian software for its phones.

"In the longer perspective, Linux will become a serious alternative for our high-end phones," he added.

Nokia unveiled its Nokia N97 smartphone at the Nokia World event, its first rival to the iPhone. The company has also recently completed its acquisition of Symbian, and says it now plans to push ahead with plans to make the operating system open source.