I think another problem is the lack of good brands in all sorts of gadgets. I was shopping for a webcam last week. Basically it’s logitech + random brands. Also, I don’t believe the review/ratings of those random brands at all. I think they must be fake.
That's tricky. I've got an old Xiaomi Yi action-cam that punches way above its weight, though I wouldn't want to drop it on a floor or anything. I also use Teensy processors in things, but I'm aware of some of the 'no name' processor boards that are waaaaay cheaper and still functional.
Anything like integrated circuits, cameras etc, there is definitely the possibility of somebody coming up with a high quality knock-off that's functionally competitive with the known version. You just won't be able to tell if it's a good knock-off or a broken knock-off.
Some things you won't get. There won't be an equivalent of my API microphone preamplifiers: not nearly a large enough market, and too tricky to make properly. But something like a Logitech webcam or a budget Focusrite pre, you are already getting compromised design to hit a price point, and that opens up avenues for a knock-off to try to do the same thing without paying for brand building or discovery in the normal sense. And that's when you find out how much it cost to make the actual object (sometimes, also knocking off the design process and outright pirating it).
