[lotsofpulp]

>Can someone help explain this in a way that isn’t just absolute price gauging of the higher end customer base?

Price gouging, as a meaningful term, is restricted to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_gouging

>Price gouging is a pejorative term used to refer to the practice of increasing the prices of goods, services, or commodities to a level much higher than is considered reasonable or fair by some. This commonly applies to price increases of basic necessities after natural disasters. Usually, this event occurs after a demand or supply shock.

Using the term "price gouging" anytime a potential buyer thinks a seller is asking for too much money renders it meaningless. I ask for as much money as the buyers for my labor will pay, as I assume the people selling to me do also.

It's just business, you try to earn as much as possible (and that could involve not maximizing in a specific transaction to incentivize repeat business in the future). But in no way is anyone under any duress when deciding to buy an Apple device, so if a buyer does not feel like being price gouged, they should buy something else.