BlackBerry and HTC handsets on the horizon

Bold R020 to take over from the 9700, and HTC Desire HD and Z said to be 'coming soon'

RIM will be hoping new handset launches will detract from its problems in India

New BlackBerry and HTC handsets could hit the market in October as manufacturers scramble to release fresh devices in time for Christmas.

The BlackBerry Bold R020 is slated as the successor to current business favourite, the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Unsurprisingly, the device will retain the conventional BlackBerry look and feature a 2.4in LCD screen with 480 x 360 resolution.

Key upgrades include BlackBerry 6 OS, 512MB RAM and a beefed up 5-megapixel camera, according to a leaked presentation.

The Blackberry R020 aims to pick up where the Bold 9700 left off and will combine "a perfect balance of speed, power and style", according to RIM.

The company appears to have set a shipping target of October. V3.co.uk contacted the manufacturer to discuss this date, but had not heard back at the time of publication.

Meanwhile, the HTC Desire HD and Desire Z showed up briefly on retail web site mobiles.co.uk, but seem to have been taken down.

The specification list for the Desire HD confirms earlier leaked details, and includes Android 2.2 Froyo, a 1GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, 720p HD video recording capabilities and 4GB of internal memory. It is also listed to come with a 4.3in capacitive touch screen, the retailer said.

There are no specifications listed for the Desire Z, but the description claims that the handset will come with a "vivid 3.7in touch-screen display with a slide out full Qwerty keyboard making it perfect for browsing the web and messaging friends".

The handset will run on Android 2.1, and is powered by a 1GHz processor, according to the retailer. Mobiles.co.uk lists both devices as "coming soon".

V3.co.uk contacted HTC to confirm these details, but a spokeswoman said that the manufacturer does not comment on rumours and speculation.