A BlackBerry device sighting is rare in these days of touchscreen phones. Which was why fans of the brand got somewhat excited on Sunday when BlackBerry's soon-to-be-launched mobile device was spotted on television.

CrackBerry reported the sighting of BlackBerry Mercury in the latest episode of Last Man Standing, a comedy series starring Tim Allen who plays Michael Baxter. Allen's character was seen using the smartphone which is scheduled to be formally launched at the Mobile World Congress (MCW) in Barcelona later this month.

The tech website added that the endorsement is not without basis as Tim Allen has always been a fan of BlackBerry.  It added that the tv debut of 'Mercury' may be the curtain raiser to the product's marketing campaign.

However, BlackBerry followers could not discern much about the features of Mercury. In the Last Man Standing episode, the device was seen to have a large touchscreen display and the signature QWERTY keyboard that does not slide.   

On Twitter, the newly-registered account @BBMobile had on Jan. 24 posted a short video of what is deemed to be the Mercury, with the tagline 'Distinctly Different' as its first tweet.

Although touchscreen devices have dominated the smartphone market, there are still many who prefer the BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. The new launch is seen to be generating excitement among loyal fans of the brand.

CNET had earlier reported that the mobile device is confirmed to be launched on Feb. 25, when MCW opens. The website added that besides BlackBerry, Nokia is also planning to globally announce its Nokia 6 device currently only sold in China. Both product makers however will be targeting different market segments for their devices as Nokia 6 is aimed at the lower end of the consumer spectrum while the BlackBerry is setting its eyes on premium users.