Samsung Electronics reported Wednesday a sharp increase in consolidated revenue for the first quarter thanks to strong sales of its new smartphones, but its semiconductor business suffered a setback.

By Hyunjoo Jin, Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics warned on Wednesday U.S. tariffs could cut demand for products such as smartphones, making it difficult to predict future performance.

The South Korean technology giant posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter profit, as solid gains in its smartphone segment offset weak earnings at its core semiconductor business.