This is not about the programming language nor the OS. It's about masquerading a cheap butchered android phone as a brand new device. If it was some custom, optimized hardware to connect the main I/O (camera, touchscreen, buttons) to a piece of software that communicate with a remote server, it would justify the price. But as it is, it's a borderline refurbished weak phone hardware sold for $200.
Having seen what this device does, they may not even have had to alter anything to the base AOSP image. Just set your app as the launcher and you're good to go.
No, revealed to not be specific design at all. The device is actually a terrible phone with less feature than a phone, nothing more. The app would likely run as-is on any Android phone with 100% of the feature provided.
Paying $200 for a bottom of the line smartphone that can't smartphone is a bit much.
We could just have that. A contest where you bring your cat, they get to play around for an afternoon, and the only outcome from the judge is "yep, that's a cat".