Samsung's mobile sales jump 52% to $15.9 billion in Q4 2011

But firm withholds smartphone shipments

With handset sales mysteriously absent, Korean giant Samsung has revealed revenues of 47.3 trillion won (around $42.2 billion) in Q4 2011 - a 13 percent increase year-on-year.

Consolidated operating profit came in at 5.3 trillion won – equal to around $4.7 billion – broadly in line with the firm's preliminary figures for Q4, released earlier in January.

Net profit was pegged at 4 trillion won (around $3.6 billion).

Smartphone star

It's the performance of Samsung's telecommunications business that – by the firm's own admission – served as the quarterly highlight, however.

Q4 earnings for the division came in at 17.8 trillion won ($15.9 billion), up 52 percent year on year.

Operating profit was a record 2.6 trillion won ($2.3 billion), with Samsung citing "strong sales" of the Galaxy S II and Note.

"Despite intensified competition amid the global economic slowdown, our Telecommunications businesses continued to post solid earnings with an enhanced line-up of high-end smartphones, resulting in higher average selling price (ASP)," said senior VP and head of investor relations Robert Yi.

"Moreover, improved profitability and earnings growth of our Set businesses, including smartphones and flat panel TVs led to our company’s strong earnings."

Galaxy gains

Indeed, Samsung's financial release cites the performance of its smartphone devices on more than one occasion, naming them as the main driver behind the firm's full year operating profit of 8.27 trillion won – around $7.4 billion.

That's up almost 40 percent on 2010's total, with shipments of the firm's smartphones jumping by 30 percent during Q4 2011.

As stated, however, actual shipment figures have not been published, though analysts have told Reuters they estimate Samsung shipped around 36 million smartphones during the quarter – just down on Apple's 37 million during its most recent quarter.

Samsung also neglected to mention the performance of its range of Galaxy Tab tablets, with their roll out currently hampered by several legal tussles with Apple around the globe.

[source: Samsung]

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