Nokia Q4 profits up 44%, market share up to 40%

Just in case you thought that Apple had stitched up the entire cellphone market, Nokia reminds us that not everyone has been buying iPhones during 2007.

Today the company announced that its Q4 profits had risen by a spectacular 44%.  A total of 133.5 million handsets were sold in the three months to December 2007.  The robust profits were due in part to strong sales in developing regions, especially in the Middle East and Africa and China, where shipments grew by 43% and 38.4% respectively.

But the good news for Nokia doesn't end there.  Research firm Strategy Analytics also estimated that Nokia's market share has finally reached 40%, a target which the company has had in its sights for years.  Compare this to Samsung's 14% market share and Motorola's 12% - its lowest market share since 2001.

Thoughts?