Although NVIDIA vowed to release the first Android tablets loaded with the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 Kal-El processor before this year is over, China-based company Meizu may beat NVIDIA to releasing what may possibly be the world’s first quad-core Android smartphones.

Meizu announced on the Meizu forums that two variants of the upcoming Meizu MX smartphones will be released in China some time late this month.

The dual-core variant of the Meizu MX will have 16 gigabytes of internal storage and is expected to cost CNY3,999 (US$626). The quad-core model will have 32 gigabytes of internal storage and will command a price of CNY4,999 (US$780). Both models will use A9 processors.

Meizu also confirmed that both handsets will bear 4.0-inch touchscreens with display resolution of 960×640 (with pixel density to 292 ppi, and screen width reportedly reaching 56 mm) at an aspect ratio of 3:2. The Meizu MX will expectedly be about 10 millimeters thin, with length of 63 mm and height of 121 mm.

The press shot of the Meizu MX on the Meizu forums suggests a front-facing camera. Earlier reports have also suggested an 8-megapixel primary camera. Support for HSPA+ networks (up to 21 Mbps) has also been reported.

Meizu has also previously confirmed that a microUSB port will be on board and the back cover will be removable.

No indication of a release for other markets outside of China has been mentioned, although presumably a lot of consumers from other countries will surely be eager to grab a Meizu MX.

It’s going to be a fun, quad-core-filled end-of-the-year for everyone, with NVIDIA expected to provide quad-cores for Android tablets and Meizu providing the quad-core Meizu MX smartphone.

Android tablet or Android smartphone? Dual-core or quad-core? What makes your Android heart tick?