Nokia has acquired Norwegian mobile software maker Smarterphone to boost the technology seen on its more basic mobile phones, according to reports. Smarterphone builds a software platform that it claims provides a smartphone experience on cheaper hardware.

As well as the pressure being exerted on Nokia’s smartphone business from Apple and Android, the lower end of Nokia’s device portfolio is also being put under pressure. The Series 40 mobile platform is seen by some as too basic to compete effectively with the Android OS on smartphones priced under US$100, while the Symbian platform is showing its age.

Nokia was last week rumoured to be talking to Microsoft about the US company acquiring its smartphone division. If this happened, it would leave Nokia with its feature phone portfolio, which the Smarterphone acquisition would complement.

However, a Nokia spokesman told Reuters that the Smarterphone acquisition is part of the strategy to bring the mobile internet to the next billion users. Financial terms of the deal – which Smarterphone investor Ferd Capital said was completed in November 2011 – have not been disclosed.