Samsung has posted revenue of 52.87 trillion won (£33.9bn) for Q1 2013, 17 per cent higher than a year earlier but six per cent less than the previous quarter.
Operating profit was 8.78 trillion won (£5.1bn) – a one per cent decline on Q4 last year. Strong smartphone sales, with Samsung still the number one manufacturer in the world, and reduced marketing costs contributed to a profitable quarter for the IT & Mobile Communications (IM) division.
The division, which also includes networks and digital imaging, makes around 60 per cent of the company’s revenues. Revenues were 32.82 trillion won in Q1 (£19.1bn), a seven per cent increase on Q4 2012. 
Sound sales of Galaxy S3 and GALAXY Note 2 devices aided profit margins in this division, the company said, but it forecasts dampened smartphone demand and heightened competition in Q2 from mid- to low-end handset makers. Robert Yi, senior vice president and head of investor relations, said that they expect to increase R&D spending to strengthen competitiveness ahead of new product launches.
The company sold a stable supply of LTE and 4G equipment in the Networks area of the business, while the PC business had another ‘trying’ quarter. Demand for consumer electronics in emerging markets stemmed some sales losses but a sluggish economy took its toll on sales of TVs and home appliances.
