From another article:
"On the hardware side of things, there seem to be enough modern features to satisfy users who fit the profile of desiring an in-between smart and dumb-phone solution. It supports global LTE cellular connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth wireless, and even GPS. At the heart of the Callback is a MediaTek Helio G81 SoC, with 4GB/64GB on board. A 32GB microSD card is included to get you started, too."
To me, that's pretty low spec for $500 all things considered. Now, there is a price to privacy and the fact they're not monetizing data is a pretty huge incentive. So, probably worth the $500 after all.