SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - The strong debut for the Tablet PC IPAD and the new iPhone gadget maker Apple prompted a fourth disc that blew past expectations of Wall Street analysts.The Cupertino, California-based company said Tuesday its net income rose 78 percent to 3.25 billion in the fiscal third quarter ended June 26.
Revenue rose to a record 15.7 billion dollars from 9.73 billion dollars a year ago, topping the 14.75 billion dollars forecast by analysts.
Earnings per share of $ 3.51 were also much higher than expected $ 3.11 per share.
"It was a phenomenal quarter exceeded our expectations at all, including the most successful product launch in the history of Apple's iPhone in April," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a statement.
"IPAD is an excellent start, more people are buying Macs than ever, and we have incredible new products still to come this year," said Jobs.
Apple said it sold 3.27 million during the quarter iPads, raking in another 2.1 billion dollars in revenue and nearly matching the sales of Macintosh computers.
Apple, which only began selling the IPAD in April, said it sold a record 3.47 million Macintosh computers during the quarter.
It sold 8.4 million iPhones in the quarter, up 61 percent over a year, including 1.7 million new iPhone 4s.
The latest version of the smartphone was released in five countries on June 24 and Apple has been plagued by complaints about reception problems due to its unusual design of the antenna.
Apple announced last week that offer free case of rubber and plastic designed to address the issue of satellite customers and Apple executives dismissed speculation that "Antennagate" had hurt sales.
"We're selling all the units we can do today," said Apple chief operating officer, Tim Cook.
Sales of iPod music players fell eight percent in the quarter a year ago to 9.41 million, Apple said.
In a conference call with analysts, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said the company was "very pleased with sales of IPAD and iPhone 4."
"We are working hard to catch up with customer demand for these great products, and hope that customers are moving deeper into the most this quarter," he said.
"We are selling as soon as we can make," Cook said Apple. "We are working day and night to have the supply and demand in balance.
"It'sa good problem," he said.
Oppenheimer said sales of Macintosh 3. 47 million in the quarter surpassed the record set in the December quarter by more than 100,000, surpassing estimate the research group IDC, 22 percent growth for the PC market this quarter.
Oppenheimer said that while iPod sales fell to 9.4 million from 10.2 million a year ago, sales of the iPod Touch more expensive 48 years had grown percent on year, generating revenue growth of four percent.
Oppenheimer also said Apple expects revenues of around 18 billion dollars in the current quarter and earnings per share of $ 3.44.
Apple shares jumped 3.65 percent, to $ 261.08 in after-hours trading after fiscal third-quarter results were released after a 2.57 percent gain during the day.
