Apple on Wednesday reported record quarterly revenue and profit, saying the sales of its popular iPod media player also set new record.

According to financial results released by Apple, in its first fiscal quarter of 2009 that ended on December 27, 2008, the company's revenue was US$10.17 billion, net quarterly profit was US$1.61 billion or US$1.78 per diluted share -- all are best in its history.

The company sold more than 22.7 million iPods during the quarter, representing 3 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. In the same period, it sold more than 4.36 million iPhones, a year-over-year growth of 88 percent.

During the quarter, Apple also sold more than 2.5 million Macintosh computers, up 9 percent over a year ago.

"Even in these economically challenging times, we are incredibly pleased to report our best quarterly revenue and earnings in Apple history," Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive officer, said in a statement.

He noted that it is the first time the company's quarterly revenue surpasses US$10 billion.

Peter Oppenheimer, the company's chief financial officer, said that in the second fiscal quarter of 2009, the company expects revenue in the range of about US$7.6 billion to US$8 billion with diluted earnings per share in the range of about 90 cents to US$1.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2009)