Strong iPhone sales in China boost Apple profits

The impending release of a new flagship Apple smartphone has failed to dampen sales of current iPhones, with the consumer electronics giant reporting a jump in quarterly profit off the back of strong smartphone sales.

Apple sold 35.2 million iPhones in its fiscal third quarter, the company announced today - a 13 percent rise on the same period last year, and the second quarter in a row it has posted double-digit percentage growth in iPhone sales.

The results come despite the impending release of a new model. The June quarter has traditionally been the company's slowest period as it prepares to launch new products in the second half of the year.

Apple is reportedly planning to offer two new iPhones boasting larger screens as well as a touch-screen smartwatch, according to a US patent made public today.

The increased iPhone sales were driven by demand from Brazil, Russia, India and China, Apple reported.

China alone recorded a 48 percent increase in iPhone sales - a result of a recent partnership with China Mobile, which gave Apple access to China Mobile's 760 million customers.

However, sales of Apple's tablet offering weren't so rosy, falling nine percent for the second quarter in a row to to 13.3 million. Analysts had forecast Apple would sell 14.4 million iPads in the quarter.

Mac sales grew 17 percent to 4.4 million.

Apple's overall net profit came in at US$7.7 billion (A$8.2 billion), up from the US$6.9 billion it recorded in the same quarter last year.

Revenue similarly rose six percent to US$37.4 billion, but fell short of analyst estimates of US$38 billion.