Apple (AAPL 0.52%) could be in for another record year, at least according to one indicator.

Source: Apple.

The company, although no longer the breakneck-growth company of yesteryear, has still been performing strongly. Apple reported strong fourth-quarter earnings earlier this week, establishing a new Q4 record for the tech giant.

All eyes have now turned squarely to Apple's first quarter, where the company's newly refreshed suite of iPhones and iPads will be put to the test in the increasingly competitive smartphone and tablet markets. Is Apple up for it?

Certainly, at least according to one Apple indicator: Apple's capital-spending plans. Although it might seem strange at first, Apple's capital investment spending has historically been a fantastic indicator of how many iOS-powered devices Apple will sell over the course of a fiscal year. The finding, which tech blog Asymco originally noted, predicts another strong performance for Apple in the coming year.

Just how substantial could Apple's performance be? Tech and telecom analyst Andrew Tonner breaks down the potential Apple numbers in the following video.