As it did in the fourth quarter, Samsung has released guidance for what it expects will be its Q1 2012 revenue and profit. The company estimates that it will earn between 44 and 46 trillion Korean won in consolidated sales (around $39 billion US) and profits between 5.6 and 6.0 trillion Korean won (around $5.1 billion US). The numbers are smaller than its record Q4 2011 results, but that's to be expected with the post-holiday business cycle.
In fact, the Q1 2012 estimates look relatively strong: both numbers are significantly better than Samsung's results a year ago and no doubt the five million Galaxy Note devices the company has sold to end customers plays a part in that. Samsung beat its own estimates last quarter, though for this quarter Reuters' analyst survey suggests that it might not repeat that this time around. Still, all eyes are on the smartphone division and we're expecting Samsung will be eager to tout its sales when the final numbers are released.