8 Underrated Tech Brands That Rival The Giants

Today's tech stage is dominated by a few players. Look at the smartphone sector, or the software world — both are dominated by a small handful of companies. However, once in a while, a new brand emerges that does things differently, aiming to rewrite the rulebook with innovative solutions, great design, or just incredible value.

The fact is, many upcoming tech brands today that deserve more attention. These tech brands are still underrated by the general public. Heck, most people don't even know they exist. Still, they have products that provide excellent user experience, rivaling those of more established brands. In some areas, these companies even surpass their larger competitors. 

As a tech enthusiast that always likes to try new and exciting hardware and software, I am always interested in new and upcoming tech brands. Of course, this means finding ways to play with their products and see whether they make an appealing alternative to their established rivals. Not to mention, I have carefully followed the tech industry daily for over two decades now, and written about it for a long while.

With that expertise in mind, here are eight underrated or less-known companies I think you should know about that rival the giants, spanning across multiple tech industries. Some are attempting to challenge hardware titans like Apple and Samsung, and others are taking aim at software behemoths like Google and Adobe. Either way, they deserve a higher profile. Let's have a closer look.

The MacBook Air M3 is a fantastic laptop for most people, with excellent performance, sturdy build quality, and a top-notch display. It's also short on ports and completely un-upgradable. Want more RAM down the line? Out of the question.

Framework wants to upend the laptop market with its upgradeable and sustainable laptops. Available in 13.5-inch and 16-inch sizes, these computers are all about upgradeability. Putting more memory or storage in Framework laptops is a breeze, but you can also upgrade the processor and graphics. The latest models start with the excellent AMD Ryzen 7040 Series or Intel Core Ultra 1 (13.5-inch model only) chips, while the 16-inch model can also be configured with Radeon RX 7700S graphics. Still, they can be upgraded later on, even with a DeepComputing RISC-V mainboard!

With Framework's expansion cards, you can even choose which ports to have on your laptop or add an extra SSD instead of a USB-C port. Crucially, upgrading is relatively easy, with Framework providing the necessary tools and step-by-step guides. Yup, this also means repair is effortless.

Framework's laptops are solidly made, thin and light, rivaling other ultra-portables in the quality department. They boast excellent screens, too, which you can also upgrade to a 2.8K 120Hz unit, or any newer one that becomes available, like OLED. All this is more sustainable, as you'll be only upgrading the parts you need, instead of buying a new laptop. The fact that Framework laptops are made from recycled materials further highlights that the segment needs a rethinking.

These days, smartphones offer laptop-rivaling performance, super-capable cameras, and excellent displays. Still, they are notoriously bad when it comes to repairs — replacing any part is expensive and best done by a professional. Fairphone wants to disrupt that norm.

The company does things similarly to Framework, letting the user replace most of its phones' parts when necessary. Suffering from a cracked screen or camera? You can order a new one directly from Fairphone and replace it in minutes. The company's latest Fairphone 5 model is specifically designed for easy repair, with screws holding most of the pieces together. And you don't only get hardware support — the Fairphone 5 could last you half a decade thanks to the promised software support through 2031.

The Dutch electronics manufacturer also makes earbuds (Fairbuds) and headphones (Fairbuds XL), and both easily repairable as well. And it's not only the long-term support that sets Fairphone's products apart; the Fairphone 5 is made from fairly sourced materials, meaning no child labor was involved in making your smartphone. Most of the parts are made from sustainable and recycled materials, too.

The Fairphone 5 isn't the most advanced smartphone out there, but it should be fine for most people, with a bright and colorful 6.46-inch 90Hz display, 50MP rear camera, Qualcomm's QCM 6490 chipset with a 64-bit Octa-Core processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Its 4,200mAH battery is also user-replaceable, without any tools required, making it a breath of fresh air in the smartphone world.

Anker is already a well-established brand in the mobile charging industry. Its chargers continue to push the boundaries with ingenious solutions, charging speeds, and quality. Unsurprisingly, we were impressed with the Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe, which shows all of the brand's attributes in one enticing package.

Still, while the company's Soundcore brand has its following, it's still underrated among the general audience. Soundcore produces Bluetooth headphones, earbuds, and speakers, which often undercut their rivals on price, and quite significantly. For instance, the Anker Soundcore 2 is one of the cheapest Bluetooth speakers on Amazon, costing around $40, depending on the color. Even so, it delivers a clean, punchy sound, outperforming some more expensive peers from JBL and UE in some regards. Meanwhile, Anker's prowess in making excellent power banks shows in the 24-hour battery life.

Want more bass? The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 delivers an 80W thump for just $129.99. That's double the power over the more expensive JBL Charge 5. Soundcore's headphones are very competitive, too; the Space One Pro, for example, costs $199.99, while boasting advanced active noise cancellation technology and a 60-hour battery life in a cool-looking, foldable design. Don't sleep on the company's earbuds, too, as Soundcore offers a wide range of models, from budget to premium.

Soundcore's audio products are excellent for the general audience, but they won't cut it for audiophiles. Fortunately, one brand is focusing on delivering a hi-fi experience for those with tight budgets. Chinese audio company Edifier made a name for itself with the Stax Spirit S3, a set of planar magnetic headphones that sounded better than any other headphone at that price range. It's all thanks to the planar magnetic drivers, which deliver a wider soundstage and clearer sound. 

Today, the Stax Spirit S3 headphones cost $348, while the upgraded Stax Spirit S5 sells for $499.99. If the headphone's branding is familiar, it could be because Edifier acquired STAX, a company that specialized in electrostatic earphones, in 2012. 

Predictably, Edifier also has planar magnetic wireless earbuds, the Stax Spirit S10. These even have active noise cancellation adding value to the already stellar planar magnetic sound. The S10s are expensive, but they are a premium product. Still, Edifier shows its hi-fi prowess in other segments as well. 

The brand's Bluetooth speakers, like the D32, are very highly rated, yet cost significantly less than the competition. Furthermore, Edifier's active stereo speakers continue to win over customers with low prices and excellent sound quality. There is literally a model for everyone in the company's portfolio, ranging from small studio monitors to studio quality bookshelf speakers. Film aficionados will be happy to learn that Edifier also has surround setups for a more immersive experience.

Google Chrome. Microsoft Edge. Opera.These browsers offer very smooth experiences and come packed with features. However, they also track every move you make on the internet, and don't offer extensive privacy settings. Sure, they are free, but at what cost?

Enter Brave, one of the most secure browsers out there. Brave stops websites from tracking you, comes with the company's private search engine, and even blocks ads by default. Furthermore, Brave is proactive and will delete cookies for you. Even so, Brave will let you earn rewards and tokens through watching privacy-respecting ads and then use them to support websites or creators. This might be a small stain on Brave, but you can use the browser without ever seeing these ads.

The best part about Brave is that it's based on Chromium (i.e. Chrome without Google stuff). Thus, it's familiar to anyone that used Chrome, or the Chromium-based Edge, for that matter. Although a private-focused browser, Brave comes with an AI assistant. Oh, this also means that it supports most Chrome extensions, alongside Brave's own library. In my not-so-scientific tests on my Zephyrus G14, I also found that websites load very quickly, and the browser also launches in an instant. Downloading and installing takes seconds, so give it a try and see if it suits you.

DuckDuckGo also offers a browser with excellent privacy features, available for most major operating systems, including smartphones, and emphasizing blocking trackers. It can block websites from tracing your internet activities even before they load and includes a built-in ad block functionality.

Another interesting feature is the removal of email trackers, keeping your inbox free from unwanted newsletters. The company went as far as installing a Fire button, which instantly erases all traces of websites you visited. Like Brave, the DuckDuckGo browser is free and worth a try.

However, while I think that DuckDuckGo's browser is pretty good, I mainly use its search engine. Like the browser, DuckDuckGo search won't track you to serve ads, while displaying results quickly. It's very easy to use, too, like Google.

As for the results, I often prefer DuckDuckGo lately. During the past year or so, Google started favoring Reddit and forums in the search results, even when you ask for an expert advice. The search giant says that users prefer this approach, but it can lead to them getting bad advice. It also killed many websites that provided interesting and useful content for various communities.

DuckDuckGo, on the other hand, favors results from well-respected media, written by experts. Sure, it won't give you as many results as Google, but if you hate being tracked, DuckDuckGo is the best alternative search engine.

BlackMagic Design has made big strides lately with its holistic hardware/software approach aimed at video professionals and enthusiasts. BlackMagic's cameras, for instance, offer exceptional image quality, which beats more established rivals from Canon, Sony, Panasonic and Nikon.

Case in point: the affordable Cinema Camera 6, which houses a large full frame 6K sensor with excellent dynamic range and low noise. It also supports the L-Mount, meaning excellent lens availability. Then there's the smaller Pocket series, which brings most of the advantages in a smaller package. I had a chance to play with a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (Micro 4/3 lenses), and the ergonomics for shooting video impressed me. Heck, it's miles better than mirrorless cameras. Not to mention, you can accessorize each of these cameras with things like monitors, gimbals, and custom mounts.

Once you finish shooting, you can use BlackMagic Design's DaVinci Resolve software to edit your videos. It's a full-featured program used by professionals and enthusiasts, and it doesn't require a subscription, unlike Adobe's Premiere Pro. DaVinci Resolve allows you not only to edit your videos but also add color correction and motion graphics.

As you would've guessed, it works seamlessly with the company's cameras. For example, you can shoot with your camera while the video files upload to the cloud and become instantly available to edit in the DaVinci Resolve's media bin, which is great for productions. Here are five more tips for editing in DaVinci Resolve which show the software's limitless potential.

Adobe is the de facto king of photo editing and graphic design software with its Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign apps. However, using these programs requires an expensive subscription, making it unattainable for newbies or many hobbyists. Fortunately, there is an excellent alternative. Affinity, a brand by the company Serif, has an equivalent to any Adobe app; Designer is a rival to Illustrator. Photo competes with Photoshop. Publisher is similar to InDesign. And by similar, we mean almost the same.

To make transition easier, Serif decided to make its software function and look just like Adobe's. Most of the features are there, too, though some are missing. For instance, Affinity Photo 2 doesn't have a catalog, and Designer 2 does not support vector symmetry. Also, forget about using AI tools to quickly improve your work, though, ever since Canva bought Serif, it has become increasingly likely that we will see them in future versions.

What really sets Affinity apart is the budget-friendly pricing. You can have the full-fledged PC/Mac version of each program for $69.99, with the iPad app costing $18.49. Meanwhile, Photoshop costs $22.99/month if you pay the full year upfront. The full Affinity Suite costs $164.99, which is an excellent price for a one-time purchase.