Apple has just released a report that shows a better-than-expected profit and record revenue and iPod unit sales. Sales in the fiscal first quarter rose 6% to $10.17 billion, while profits increased to $1.61 billion, or $1.78 a share, outpacing the average analyst estimate of $1.39.

This kind of headline is really disturbing, as the US is in the throes of a recession and consumers and companies are reining in spending on consumer electronics. However,  even if in the US, sales of the iPod declined, results in other areas more than made up for that drop, as growth in iPod sales came from outside the US.

As for the iPhone, Apple sold 4.36 million units, an 88%increase from a year earlier. The total sales value of iPhones sold during the quarter was $2.6 billion. During calendar 2008, Apple sold 13.7 million iPhones, beating its proposed target, 10 million units in that period. The company expects to have the iPhone selling in more than 70 countries by the end of this quarter.

Apple also sold 2.5 million units Macintosh computers, a 9 percent growth. Desktop sales declined 25%, falling to 728,000 units, from 977,000 a year ago. Sales of the iMac surged by more than 50% in August 2007, when the product was upgraded.

These optimistic numbers seem to have diverted attention from a report that the Securities & Exchange Commission is probing how Apple handled news of a decline in Steve Jobs' health. Basically, the SEC wants to know whether Apple was as forthcoming about his illness as it should have been.

Even if the latest results are encouraging, the current period may prove more challenging, as Apple expects to record revenue of $7.6 billion to $8 billion. It remains to be seen if they'll manage to keep up the good work so far.