Nokia will roll out one more Linux-based smartphone in 2010, a company mole has claimed, suggesting it's more keen on Symbian than recent executive statements have implied.

Nokia's first Linux-based smartphone, the N900, has just begun shipping to folk who ordered it ahead of release. It runs Maemo, a Linux derivative Nokia has working on for some time.

In August 2009, it was claimed that Nokia might stop using its Symbian OS in its high-end smartphones and install Maemo on them instead, but Nokia executive quickly said that wasn't the case.

"Symbian and Maemo will continue to co-exist," said Peter Schneider, Nokia's Head of Marketing for Maemo Devices.

Earlier this month, though, unnamed members of the Maemo marketing team were quoted as saying that Maemo will replace Symbian, at least on N-series phones.

However, they suggested it will be a long process, taking the company until 2012 to complete the transition.

And if, as a Reuters report states, Nokia insiders are saying Maemo will appear on only one new smartphone in 2010, it looks like we're not going to big numbers of Maemo-based smartphones going on sale until 2011.

Officially, Nokia remains committed to Symbian "as our smartphone platform of choice", a company spokesman told the newsagency. ®