Research In Motion has announced a new BlackBerry Curve on Tuesday; the BlackBerry Curve 9380, which in a first for the range will ditch the keyboard in favour of an all touchscreen affair.

Not to be confused with the company’s BlackBerry Torch 9860 range, the new BlackBerry Curve 9380 is the first all-touch smartphone in the BlackBerry Curve family and sits next to the BlackBerry Curve 9360 rather than replace it.

The phone will feature a 3.2-inch display and comes a 5MP camera with flash and video recording. It runs the company’s latest BlackBery OS 7 operating system.

As with other phones from the Canadian manufacturer, the phone will come with NFC (Near Field Communications) support and the ability to tap into RIMs Augmented Reality offering.

RIM's UK MD Stephen Bates, has told Pocket-lint that he expects the new phone to be available in the UK in the next couple of weeks and certainly before Christmas. O2 has already confirmed that it will be stocking the new smartphone.

In related news the company has also announced a new thinner BlackBerry Bold on Tuesday. The new model, the BlackBerry 9790 will replace the BlackBerry 9780 launched last year. It will come with both a QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen display.

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 will be out in the UK in early January.