Apple profits soar 50%

Tech lifestyle leader Apple has revealed a 50 per cent year-on-year jump in profits for the quarter ending December 26th.

Income for the period hit $3.38bn, drastically up from the $2.26bn in the same period in 2008. Sales climbed from $11.9bn in 2008 to $15.7bn this time around.

The numbers stem from huge sales of the iPhone, with 8.7m of the touch-controlled devices being snapped up by eager consumers – many of whom were Chinese following the official arrival of the phone in one of the world’s largest emerging economies.

Mac sales were on the up, too, climbing by 33 per cent to 3.36m units. A little sheen was taken off proceedings by an eight per cent drop in iPod sales to 21m, however.

The news come ahead of Apple’s high-profile media gathering tomorrow where it is expected that Steve jobs will lift the curtain on the long-rumoured tablet Mac – or iPad, if you prefer.