Chia is just another scam, like the (combined) $2T ones before it
I feel this applies to all cryptocurrencies. Crypto has no fundamentals, and as exhibited in the last month or 2, it is purely based on speculation, and feel good news, that moves the value upwards. Any positive news, like some company is accepting crypto, will strangely move the price upwards. Crypto is expected to be an alternative to fiat money, but if a currency is widely accepted in every single shop and nation, won't that make it worth even more than crypto? And yet, 1 Bitcoin can be worth tens of thousands of USD is just mind boggling. The volatility also ironically pushes the value higher because people chasing the market will continue to pour in money with the hope that it continues its crazy appreciation.
Brand name, better quality (i.e. reliability) sometimes better performance & definitely better after sales service? You're short selling after sales support if you think it's not what drives prices up, you think Chinese smartphones cost less just because they're cheaper to make? Among the reasons listed only the first one is where you can blame them to an extent.
I think its mostly brand name. I've used Samsung after sales service before, and quite frankly, I don't think it is any special compared to other brands. So if the likes of WD is offering a drive that is just as good, I don't see the point of the Samsung tax. It is also clear that Samsung have realized this problem since their current 980 Pro are more in line with offerings from other major brand.