Given many believed patents were behind Google's $12.5 billion move for Motorola Mobility, the suggestion the manufacturer is turning its financial woes around almost comes as a bonus.

Full figures for the company's four quarter are not yet known, but Motorola has revealed it expects non-GAAP revenue to come in at around $3.4 billion – up marginally on the $3.3 billion GAAP and non-GAAP figure posted in Q3 2011.

Smart money on smartphones

This comes as smartphone shipments begins to rise.

Total handsets shipments are actually down quarter on quarter, falling to 10.5 million units in all from 11.6 million in the previous quarter. Smartphone shipments, however, are up, hitting 5.3 million units across the quarter.

That represents around 50.5 percent of all handsets shipped during the quarter, and a rise on Q3 2011's total of 4.8 million units.

"Motorola Mobility's fourth-quarter results were impacted by the increased competitive environment in the Mobile Device business and higher legal costs associated with ongoing intellectual property litigations," the firm said in a statement, revealing full results will be revealed on January 26.

"The company continues to work closely with Google to complete the proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility as expeditiously as possible."

[source: Motorola]