Gottheil's prognostications have been spot-on at times, off the mark at others. A year ago, he bet that Apple would enter the netbook market with an a good description of the eventual iPad. In December 2008, however, he predicted that Apple would launch a the following month, something Apple did not do.

"The front-facing camera in the next iPhone is something we've always wanted," Gottheil said, referring to by tech blog Gizmodo that the 2010 iPhone will have two cameras, including a new one that faces the user. "But that also makes sense if Apple is going to push into video conferencing, video social network or video social gaming."

Calling that market a "kind of white space," Gottheil sees it as one of those opportunities that Apple has historically grabbed. "Apple is the kind of company that could make that a big deal," he said.

The current , which lacks a camera -- one of the pieces that was on most wish lists before the tablet debuted -- also seems to have space in its current design for a front-facing camera, Gottheil added. Others, including teardown expert Aaron Vronko of Rapid Repair, have also speculated that the next iPad will sport a camera. "It looks like it's all ready for the camera, even including a hole in the glass for the lens," said Vronko, who earlier this month . "Apple probably made a game-time decision not to include it."

Also in play, said Gottheil, is the that Apple began building in Maiden, N.C., last year. Apple currently has listed on its jobs site for the data center.