Nokia announced tools for developers to target its “sub-$100” Asha handsets, stating that it expects to sell 100 million devices powered by the new Asha platform in the coming years.

The Asha Software Development Kit 1.0 is described as a “suite of tools that support the development, testing, packaging and deployment of Java apps on the Nokia Asha platform”.

Available is a web development environment (WDE) which developers can use to create and edit Asha web apps, debugging tools, and a “web designer tool for creating a great user experience for web apps”.

Marco Argenti, head of Developer Experiences at Nokia, said: “Consumers expect quality apps at every price point. With the new Asha platform, developers will be incentivised to deliver those quality apps, previously found only on high-end smartphones, thanks to unprecedented volumes and reach opportunities through one distribution channel and a single platform.”

According to the device maker “many of the most popular applications are already available or in development for the Nokia Asha platform, including eBuddy, Facebook, Foursquare, Line, LinkedIn, Nimbuzz, Twitter, WeChat and games from EA, Gameloft, Indiagames, Namco-Bandai and Reliance Games.”

Nokia also announced a new In-App Payment tool, intended to make it easier for developers to sell content from within apps. It will also be available for existing Asha and Series 40 phones, and will be available in public beta form “in the coming weeks”.