The $499 smartphone is described as being “purpose-built” for people who carry two phones — one for work and one for personal use. That is, the company believes its market will be people who do a lot of actual work on their devices — meaning messaging, emailing, working with documents, or other things where using a physical keyboard could be an advantage.
You can install any app on it. That’s in the FAQ. I believe it means messaging apps are specifically given first-class support on the home screen dashboard and notification LED