so which one is the "non hyped up" ones people should by then?
Just think long term.
If one can tahan the specs of Honeywell, they are workhorses.
If one can tahan the noise/power consumption of Austin and replacement filter cost, they are workhorses. (no real mention of this brand in this thread). Their AC and Aluminum oxide + KMnO4 mix is crazy, some 5kg for the bigger Healthmate series?
IQAir is up there but too expensive. Similar for other usual suspects.
Sharp brand is going downhill, but the APs are workhorses. There are 10 years old AP still working.
Samsung/LG are new to the block, I hate their aircon and refrigeration products. But APs are great. For regular folks like me who want to have 2-3 rooms regular day usage + provide filtration at parents place coz they are also the caregiver during daytime, then a price

erformance ratio over the long term is crucial. Throw in Super El nino 2015 haze season, where you might wanna filter 2 x whole HDBs, it becomes crucial, including filter replacement costs.
If one room, then the decision is usually much easier.