In an open letter to current and former BlackBerry users, BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen on Wednesday tried to create some buzz for the company's new BlackBerry Classic device, which is set to debut later this year. The Classic is actually what its name denots - a classic BlackBerry - complete with a top row of navigation keys and a trackpad.

"It’s the device that has always felt right in your hands and always felt right in your busy day," Chen wrote in the letter. Actually those "old-school" features were missing from the latest Blackberry 10 line of devices.

Of course, Blackberry also made a few enhancements around the edges and on the inside. The screen is bigger and sharper and the phone supports more applications than in the past, while the BlackBerry 10 operating system incorporates all the latest productivity and collaboration features on any mobile device, including the BlackBerry Hub and the all-new BlackBerry Blend.

"You don’t reinvent yourself every day; you take what you learned yesterday and sharpen it today. You drive change – often on your terms, but sometimes not. That you keep going regardless is what distinguishes you as a grown-up. You’re in it for the long haul," Chen wrote.

"So is BlackBerry. The things you remember about BlackBerry that made you better are better than ever with BlackBerry Classic. BlackBerry Classic is for you, as is everything we do every day."

In the weeks ahead, BlackBerry will be sharing more details about Classic.

The letter from Chen comes two days after reality television star Kim Kardashian created a stir by professing her "love" for BlackBerry devices, and confessing that she owns a cache of Bold devices, at a conference organized by tech news website Re/code in California.