> when competitors point out the superiority of their own product, are they also often correct?
I would say they are in fact usually correct about the specific point they're making. However, it's also common for them to be drawing attention to the dimensions on which their product is better, which may not be the same as the dimensions that matter most to customers. They may be reporting selective truths and making correct-but-mostly-irrelevant points. This also goes for criticizing competitors, of course.