Apple has recorded monster sales over Christmas as consumers snapped up record numbers of iPhones.
The technology giant smashed estimates on all its quarterly results, including gross margin, which came in at 44.7%.
The company said the stellar performance was down to the record sale of 37 million iPhones in the last three months of 2011.
For the first time, the device that changed how people use mobile phones, accounts for more than half of the company's sales.
Apple said net income in the fiscal first quarter, which ended on December 31, was $13.06bn (£8.36bn) - up 118% from a year ago.
It was Apple's first full quarter without its visionary co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs, who died of cancer a day after the October 4 launch of the iPhone 4S.
New boss Tim Cook said: "We're thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs.
"Apple's momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline."
Apple said it ended the first fiscal quarter with a cash pile of $97.6bn (£62bn) - up $16bn (£10bn) from the September quarter and more than enough to plug December's US budget deficit.
Shares jumped 8% to about $452 (£289) in extended trade following the earnings report.
The stock - which set a record high of $427.75 (£273) just this month - had closed at $420.41 (£269) on the Nasdaq
Speaking on Jeff Randall Live, author of Inside Apple, Adam Lashinsky said 'operational excellence' was a big part of Apple's success.
He told Randall: "Tim Cooks' expertise is the operations of the company.
"He has really already been running Apple for the past 10 years, whereas Steve Jobs focused on the creative aspects of the company.
"This quarter shows that the company is in very good hands for the foreseeable future, and the foreseeable future probably means something like three to five years."
Referring to the company's record stock price, Mr Lashinsky added: "Apple is also the most valuable company in the world today, greater value than ExxonMobil."
Technology analyst, Keith Woolcock told Jeff Randall: "The numbers came in 30% above forecast, so when you think that Apple is probably one of the three most covered stocks in the world, that is an extraordinary performance."
He added: "I think that even Apple would have been surprised by those numbers."
Some analysts had warned Apple might face a rougher ride than usual in 2012 with a host of other smartphones and tablets on offer from other tech and electronics companies.
