We should hate Apple but its results show we're still happy to pay through the nose for its products

Sales of the iPhone fell a bit, but it didn’t matter. The device’s record price led to record earnings

And don’t even get me started on the tax affairs (Getty)

We should hate Apple. We really should.

The company gouges us in a way few other businesses can; perhaps only energy companies and insurers.

But they are businesses we are in hock to because they provide essential services we have to have. With Apple we have a choice.

By making it in the company’s favour we endorse its pricing strategy, and margins that approach 40 per cent.

Last year’s new iPhone launch featured its first $1,000 (well $999 but who’s arguing?) model with the iPhone X. It’s nearly £1,000 here in the UK. In some parts of the world people pay even more.

Your wallet will suffer a little less with an iPhone 8, which does just about everything anyone could want.

But if it’s your heart’s desire to be among the swinging set, if you want the real tech status symbol, you have to have the X. It’s the phone for the corporate executive who has arrived, the sports star, and the celebrity. Or for those who are happy to get skinned so they can play at being that person. There are financing plans available so they can do that.

CEO Tim Cook says it has been the top selling model every week since it started shipping so there are plenty of people gagging to be too cool for school, no matter what the cost.

Basic economics should dictate that there will come a time when Apple pushes it just a bit too far, squeezes us just that bit too much.

The latest results saw a slight drop in sales by volume. Apple shifted 77.3 million iPhones in the final three months of 2017, a tad down on the 78.3 million sold in the same period a year earlier. So some people have clearly said, “Yep, that’s me out. Would someone show me one of the new Samsungs?”

But given the profits that scarcely matters. Enough of us fell for it for Apple not to have to worry too much.

Including, I’ll admit, me, although I passed on the iPhone X in favour of the smaller of the two iPhone 8s. I have several other Apple devices too. Look, they work well! I’m sounding defensive, aren’t I?

Will Apple try to push the boat out even more next time? Is Donald Trump orange? Of course it will.

It will make Apple an interesting business story to watch.

The company is asking a lot for the new Siri enabled HomePod speaker, particularly when compared to the Amazon Echo or the Google Home. The early reviews have been mixed on the sound quality vs value for money front. And Siri is, well, a bit rubbish. The bit of Apple kit that isn’t so sparkly. I love Siri, but it’s because of the hilarity it provokes in my daughter when she asks it silly questions. Which says it all really.

Nonetheless, while the iPhone reigns supreme and people are willing to get gouged to have one, Apple’s laughing all the way to the bank.

We’re still a long way from reaching the point at which sufficient numbers of people decide the pips are squeaking that bit too much for Apple’s investors to get restive. I doubt we’ll reach it anytime soon. Apple’s bosses are too sharp.

We should hate them and their company. We really should. And don’t even get me started on the tax affairs.

But this corporate bullet train has us in its thrall. Why should it change anything?