Apple sees 90% jump in profit for 1st quarter of 2010

[Don]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8633782.stm

Strong sales of its iPhone and Macintosh computers helped Apple profits to leap by 90% in the first quarter of 2010.

It made a net profit of $3.1bn (£2bn) while revenue rose 49% to $13.5bn in the three months to 27 March.

Apple said it sold about nine million of its popular smart phone - more than double the figure from a year earlier.

And it shipped almost three million Macs and about ten million iPods. The period did not include the iPad launch.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said the results were "our best non-holiday quarter ever".

The profits were well ahead of market expectations, and sent its shares about 6% higher.

Apple sold more than 300,000 of its iPad tablet computer, on its launch day in the US. The device goes on sale in Europe next month.

"We have several more extraordinary products in the pipeline for this year," Mr Jobs added.