The good thing about an Android phone is that it can be exactly what you want it to be - and many of the more basic models can be had for the same price as a mid-range standard phone.
You don't need to install 500 toy apps on your phone if you don't want or need them - Android devices come from the factory as perfectly capable phones with push email and Google Apps support.
But if you find that you need additional functionality, the apps are there for your use. I don't have many apps at all on my Android, but to use a recent example, I installed the American Airlines one to keep track of a flight and check-in.
It's all about flexibility, which is something you lose either by going down the cheap feature-phone route, or heading upmarket to Blackberry.