Anyone and everyone would love to get their hands on the latest series of flagship smartphones on offer from Sony (Xperia Z and ZL), HT C (One), and Samsung (Galaxy S4). The three devices boast uber-powerful quad-core (and octa-core) processors, amazing 1080p displays, and depending on your preference, beautiful design aesthetics. Of course, the high price-point of is a definite turn-off for a lot of consumers. What if there was a way to get your hands on somewhat similar devices, at less than half the cost?

That's what MediaTek is aiming to do with their cost-effective quad-core MT6589 processor. The availability of this processor, which is usually clocked at a comparatively lower 1.2 Ghz, has allowed a slew of Chinese and Indian manufacturers to flood their respective markets with budget-friendly quad-core devices, and in the case of former, with 1080p displays, which fall in the $150 – $300 range. While popular in their home markets, consumers around the world find it difficult to trust these devices, with a lack of support the biggest concern.

Well that is going to change quite soon as well, with internationally-renowned manufacturers like Sony, Lenovo, Huawei, and ZTE joining the party. According to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News report, MediaTek has received orders from around 20 manufacturers for their cost-effective chips, which include names like Sony and Lenovo. The paper also added that most of these OEMs will start rolling out MT6589 powered devices soon, in March or April. MediaTek is also planning a 10% price cut, from $20 to $18, after April, in an effort to increase shipments.

The performance of the MediaTek processor may not be on par with the more powerful ones from Nvidia, Samsung, and Qualcomm, but is definitely more than just functional, with decent benchmark results across the board. With the very low price point of the devices, it's definitely worth it.

For example, while the Sony Xperia Z and ZL are quite popular in India, I know that consumers would flock to Sony stores if the company released a budget-friendly quad-core smartphone in the market. Of course, if companies like Sony, Lenovo, and Huawei do enter this segment of the market, local manufacturers have a lot to worry about, and will definitely need to step up their game. It'll be very interesting to see how this scenario plays out.

What are your thoughts? Are you excited about possible low-cost quad-core smartphones from manufacturers like Sony? Let us know in the comments section below.