Rumor has it that Motorola is preparing to launch its next-generation Razr smartphones soon, introducing HD versions of its popular Droid Razr and Razr Maxx handsets. The new phones will reportedly be called Razr HD and Razr Maxx HD, and while the original versions launched three months apart, this time Motorola is expected to unleash both devices at the same time.

Motorola Droid Razr launched in 2011 as the world's thinnest smartphone (7.1mm), while its Razr Maxx successor became the most popular smartphone on Verizon, outselling even the high-end iPhone 4S, due to its powerful 3300mAh Li-Ion battery that allows for longer talk time, Web browsing and gaming. Now, a report from tech Web site Hot Hardware, citing a reliable source, claims the Razr HD and Razr Maxx HD versions will arrive as soon as October.

The Razr HD will reportedly come as the "thin" version with start battery, while the Maxx HD will sport double battery capacity. As several reports noted, a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing about the Droid Razr HD revealed the handset will have a 2350mAh battery. As the moniker suggests, both devices should boast HD screens, though by fall this will likely not make a big differentiation feature.

While Motorola's design conventions may not be everyone's favorite, its devices are greatly appreciated in terms of performance. Introducing HD versions of already popular devices may be a huge boost for now Google-owned Motorola Mobility, further heating up competition in the smartphone market.

The new devices are also rumored to have Qualcomm S4 processors and come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. Launching with the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, would make more sense, however, especially considering that Motorola's ICS skin is very light, and a new version of Android is rumored to launch in November.

GSM versions of the Droid Razr and Razr Maxx have started receiving updates to Android ICS as well, but while U.S. owners started getting the update from July, those using international versions of the smartphones had to wait almost a month longer for the software upgrade. A broader rollout is set to begin this week.

Launching the next-generation of Razr smartphones with Android ICS would just re-enact last year's blunder, when Motorola launched the Razr with Android 2.3 Gingerbread literally one day before Samsung launched its Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich. Hopefully, this year will be different with Google at the helm.