Apple's iPhone range is flying high right now, but its iPad business could use a shot in the arm, Digital Spy said.

The Cupertino firm's latest financial results suggest that its tablet shipments have hit a four-year low, dipping to 9.9 million units last quarter.

That's a 19.5% downturn year-on-year and the first time Apple has shipped fewer than 10 million iPads since way back in 2011 - but slates are still worth a cool $4 billion per quarter to the firm.

Apple is pinning its hopes on the large-screen iPad Pro, which will show its sizeable face in November, to revive its flagging tablet line.

The company shifted a whopping 48 million iPhones during the period in question, helping it set a new revenue record of $51.5 billion, so it isn't all bad news.

However, Tim Cook and co are keeping Apple Watch sales under wraps for now, suggesting that the wearable's performance isn't anything to brag about.