Picking up on comments made by Apple's Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer , Munster said: "Apple have said they will only move into a new market in which they can 'solve a problem for consumers'."

In July 2008, Oppenheimer, told analysts: "We've got a future product transition that I can't discuss with you today". Speculation at the time suggested that new iMacs, iPods and even an Apple-branded mini tablet were on the way.

Oppenheimer did add that the cost of developing the new product was "one of the reasons that we see gross [profit] margin being down sequentially".

Time will tell if Munster has inside information or is simply speculating.

Apple declined to comment.