In the price range you're talking about there isn't honestly a lot of consistent difference between Lanikai, Kala, etc. In this price range you will find good ukes, okay ukes, and bad ukes regardless of which company logo is on the headstock. If there is one thing that could be said to be consistent it is that they are quite variable in both setup and sound.
That's not to say you should avoid ukes in this price range - if it's what you can afford then buy one and play the frets right off of it. However, you will be miles ahead buying something in this price range from one of the dedicated uke outfits that have good reputations around here; HMS, Mim's, Uke Republic, etc. They cull the outright bad ukes that sound dead, etc. (especially HMS) and they will make sure the ukulele is set up so it intonates well and has a decent action, etc. These are things that are far more important to learning to play than the appearance or what wood is used, etc. I'd rather have a uke made from a shipping palette that has been set up right than the prettiest uke on the planet if it hasn't.
John