US technology giant Apple has seen quarterly results beat forecasts, thanks to strong iPhone sales.

因为iPhone销售很好，美国科技巨头Apple第二季度收入超出预算。

Sales of iPhones grew seven times in the quarter

Net profits hit $1.23bn (£953m), or $1.35 a share, in the fiscal¹（财政的） third quarter to 27 June, from $1.07bn, or $1.19 a share, a year earlier.

Apple sold more than 5.2 million iPhones in the quarter, seven times greater than the same period a year, before, boosted by a new iPhone model.

Analyst² reacted positively³ to the news and shares rose in after-hours trade.

Shares in Apple ended at $151.60 before rising to $157.02 in after-hours trade.

'Advantages'

Andy Hargreaves, an analyst at Pacific Crest⁴ Securities described the the numbers as "great".

"Their gross profits（总利润） continue to surprise people and there is a return to product momentum（动力，要素）...a return to growth in the Mac business, and then the iPhone is doing tremendously well and that is a potent⁵ combination."

Revenue for the period climbed 12% to $8.3bn, ahead of expectations of $8.2bn. Every region in the world saw revenue increase.

The number of Macs sold by Apple grew 4% year-on-year.

Shaw Wu, an analyst at Kaufman Bross said: "We think they are very uniquely positioned with their competitive advantages."

The one area to see a contraction⁶ was its iPod, where sales were 7% weaker year-on year.

For the current quarter, Apple earnings⁷ of $1.18-$1.23 a share with revenue between $8.7bn and $8.9bn, but analysts⁸ highlighted that Apple is consistently conservative in its predictions.

Apple chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer said: "We are very proud of this result, particularly given the economic climate around us."