SEOUL: Samsung Electronics posted record quarterly profit of US$5.15bil (RM15.45bil), driven by booming sales of its smartphones and the Galaxy Note “phablet,” which it hopes will show it has a flair for innovation to match rival Apple Inc.
The Note — part phone, part mini-Tablet — with a throwback stylus and screen half the size of the iPad, has sold more than five million since launching in October, and is proving a surprise money earner for the South Korean electronics giant that has a reputation as a “fast follower” rather than design leader.