South Korean electronics giant Samsung has revealed that with sales of 35m smartphones in the fourth quarter it is on target to achieve a US$4.5bn (5.2trn won) operating profit.
Sales of 35m smartphones during the quarter – in particular the Samsung Galaxy S II – have seen it vastly outperform rival HTC.
Operating profits of 5.2trn won beat analyst forecasts of 4.7trn won for the quarter, and beating Samsung’s previous record of 5trn won in the second quarter of 2010.
The company’s full financial results are expected later in the month.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s sparring partner in the smartphone, notebook and tablet computing business, Apple, is expected to announce its Q1 results on Tuesday, 24 January.
