The Samsung Galaxy S4 will launch in the United Kindgom without a new eight-core Exynos 5 Octa processor, the Korean company has confirmed. It will instead be equipped with a 1.9GHz quad-core processor that will play nicely with the U.K.’s forthcoming 4G LTE networks.

Rumors circulating before the Galaxy S4 was announced last week suggested the device would get Samsung new Exynos 5 Octa processor in Europe, and a quad-core processor in the U.S. only. But according to a statement given to The Inquirer, that won’t be the case.

“Samsung Galaxy S4 is equipped with a 1.9GHz quad-core AP or a 1.6GHz octo-core AP,” a company spokesperson said. “The selection of AP varies by markets. In the U.K. the Galaxy S4 will be available as a 4G device with a 1.9GHz quad-core processor.”

Samsung did a similar thing with the Galaxy S III last year. It launched a quad-core 3G-only version in the U.K., where there were no 4G networks at the time, and a dual-core 4G version in the U.S.

But given that 4G networks are still hard to come by in the U.K. (there’s still just one), we assumed the Exynos 5 Octa version of the Galaxy S4 would land here first, followed by the quad-core model later on, when other carriers begin rolling out 4G services this summer, for those who want it.

The news is a little disappointing, then. But who really needs an eight-core smartphone anyone? Quad-core smartphones are plenty fast enough for the things we do on them today — even if you’re playing high-end games with cutting-edge graphics. So it’s really not something that should concern you too much. I certainly wouldn’t let it put you off a Galaxy S4.

Besides, it’s not like you’re going to get an eight-core smartphone from another company for a while anyway.

• SourceThe Inquirer