Ahead of a widely anticipated announcement of a new tablet computer Wednesday, Apple Inc. has reported another strong quarter with record sales of iPhones and Macintosh computers.

The computer major said on Monday net income for the quarter ended December 31 surged 50 per cent from a year earlier to a record $3.4 billion, or $3.67 per share up from $2.26 billion, or $2.50 cents a share, in the year-ago period.