Apple posted a better-than-expected 12 per cent jump in revenue after its best new-iPhone launch on record helped push sales of the smartphone to 39.27 million units in the third quarter.

That surpassed the roughly 38 million units some Wall Street analysts had expected, and excluded sales in China, its largest market outside of the US. Chief financial officer Luca Maestri said that the new iPhones, which went on sale last week in China, had already surpassed the previous generation model in volumes.

Orders for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus began in September, helping Apple chalk up a 12.2 per cent jump in revenue last quarter to $42.12 billion. That exceeded the roughly $39.9 billion that Wall Street analysts had predicted, on average.

iPad woes

The iPad fared poorly, sliding more than 7 per cent to 12.3 million units. Some investors hope that Apple’s recently forged alliance with IBM, intended to help drive tablet and phone sales to corporate customers, may help reverse a decline in sales of the tablet device.

Ms Maestri said that the pair of tech giants had already signed on 50 initial clients, and the two intend to introduce their first jointly designed software apps next month.

Shares in Apple were roughly flat at about $100 in after-hours trade. – (Reuters)