SAN JOSE, Calif. – While the world was focused on its new iPad tablet, Apple’s iPhones and Mac computers enjoyed a sales surge that fueled a 90 percent increase in the company’s second-quarter profit.

On Tuesday, Apple reported earnings of $3.07 billion, or $3.33 a share, compared with a year-ago profit of $1.62 billion, or $1.79 a share. Revenue surged 49 percent to $13.5 billion.

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Apple sold 8.75 million iPhones in the quarter, up 131 percent from a year ago. AThe Associated Press

“We’re thrilled to report our best non-holiday quarter ever, with revenues up 49 percent and profits up 90 percent,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a written statement. “We’ve launched our revolutionary new iPad, and users are loving it. And we have several more extraordinary products in the pipeline for this year.”

Apple sold 8.75 million iPhones in the quarter, a 131 percent leap over the year-ago quarter; 2.94 million Macs, a 33 percent jump; and 10.89 million iPods, a one percent drop. Apple has said it expects sales of the popular iPhone to increasingly eclipse those of the iPod music player.

The company’s results blew past the analysts’ estimates. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial predicted Apple would post a 47 percent jump in revenue to $12 billion, and earnings of $2.45 a share.

“It’s amazing. They keep cranking along,” said Brian Marshall of Broadpoint AmTech. He had forecast the company would report earnings per share of $2.60 on $12.5 billion in revenue. “Apple truly has the best business model in all of technology, and I think it’s getting better,” he said.

For the current quarter, Apple forecast revenue between $13 billion and $13.4 billion and earnings per share of $2.28 to $2.39.

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