this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2024
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I'd say for the oxymeter it depends on what you want it for. If your health depends on it, yes spend more for a good one. If it's just for general interest the cheaper ones will likely be "good enough".
For batteries, generally true. Except the Kirkland non-rechargeable packs are very good batteries and good value too. Not that I often need non-rechargable. Just for those few devices that are not happy with the lower voltage of rechargeable batteries.
Otherwise, definitely a good list. I'd also say in general for electronics, be very wary of Chinese brands you've totally never heard of selling items for less than half the price a reputable brand sells the same thing for. They are generally putting fake CE/FCC labels onto devices that are definitely not certified and will almost certainly be underrated for the requirement in a best case scenario. I am currently especially suspicious of the 100w+ PD supplies that are ridiculously cheap compared to known brands for the same rating.
An important exception to electronics are Chi-Fi audio IEMs and audio gear/accessories, and most kinds of cables/adapters. A lot of Chinese electronics are good if you know how to look for it, and any type of electronics has an enthusiast community that notes down a lot of good Chinese brands, that simplifies the job for anyone.
Infact, Omron certifies a Chinese medical equipment maker Contec, and their Oximeter is accurate for medical purposes. Just an example.
China has colossal logistics and manufacturing ecosystem, where $1 earbuds are produced and in the next factory, some $5000 headphone or 6 figures car is being built. Its all about being smart.
Yeah it's why I qualified it with the "too good to be true" prices and names you don't recognise. The odds are far greater that a brand name you've never heard of undercutting at more than half the price of a brand you do recognise is very likely cutting corners somewhere and stamping invalid certifications. With electronics that can end pretty badly.
Not writing off all Chinese companies. Just the ones that have a new name every month and are selling at too good to be true prices. I think they're suffering the same as Japanese electronics did in the 80s. There were enough bad examples to make people assume it was the same for all (you'll see it in movies of the era, with people referring to "jap-crap"). But as we know, some very big companies today rose from that situation to be extremely trusted today. I suspect over time the same will be true in China.
The big reason for that kind of bashing for Japanese electronics in 80s and Chinese since a few decades stems from xenophobia in West, and their hatred towards them creating cheaper and/or more resilient, better goods.
Japan became an electronics pioneer back then, and many of us know what USA did to Toshiba in late 80s, crippling them forever. Same story with French company Alstom because they were crapping on GE, and recently, Huawei because they crapped on Apple, Google and Samsung (SK is US vassal). Japan no longer competes in goods territory that USA makes, and Japan is also a US vassal state, so they are left alone, but now China has already surpassed USA economically, and by next year militarily, so I doubt it will ever end. China ensures democratisation of goods and the near-abolition of fat capitalist margins with cheap mass goods.
Huawei has also been found to have back doors in their 5G towers. Now, I'm not saying western companies don't have back doors, but since I live in a western country (which has also likely suffered from political interference by China) I'd rather not be tracked by yet another nation more than I already am.
Can you source your claims of Huawei 5G tower backdoors? US government has given none in years.
There were numerous articles in 2020 and earlier talking about vulnerabilities in their products, including hard-coded encryption keys. Vehement denial isn't a good look with such flagrant and obvious failures. I have yet to see any announcements or articles saying this has changed. Until I do, I will assume Huawei doesn't have anything substantial to add to the discussion.
US propaganda on Huawei has been unsubstantiated to date. There is zero evidence on the "evils" of Huawei. It was all about 5G race, and NATO countries got salty Huawei and ZTE shat all over the 4G monopoly of West, and that West could no longer leech money off off patent royalties like Qualcomm does in USA on smartphone SoCs. China holds like 70%+ patents on 5G.