Reuters says the firm, which is jointly owned by Sony Ericsson and Motorola, has been cutting staff since the Symbian platform was sold to Nokia and made available free as an open-source software service last summer.

UIQ didn't join the Symbian Foundation, and hasn't been able to sustain operator, manufacturer or consumer interest.

"There are no opportunities to create a new line of business in the current financial climate," UIQ CEO Johan Sandberg told Reuters.