If 2011 was the year of the dual-core processor, then 2012 is shaping up to be defined by quad cores, with the HTC Edge/Endeavor, probably the Samsung Galaxy S III, and now, we’ve learned, the LG X3 all going quad in the first half. Despite its powerful chipset (a Tegra 3 by nVidia) and large, high-resolution display (4.7 inches at 1280×720), the X3 allegedly maintains a sub-nine-millimeter profile. The rear and front-facing cameras are said to be eight megapixels and 1.3 megapixels, respectively, while storage reportedly weighs in at 16GB (supplemented by microSD).

X3 should run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich right out of the box; like many ICS-powered handsets set for release this year, it would utilize physical capacitive, and not touchscreen, buttons.

Radio-wise, we’re supposedly looking at 21Mbps HSPA — although regional bumps to LTE are certainly a possibility– 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and the latest Bluetooth standard, 4.0. At 2000mAh, the battery sounds like one of the more capacious in this class. Rounding out the specs, according to a trusted source, is an NFC transceiver.

Don’t look for the X3 (under its retail name, naturally) until sometime in late spring or early summer, we hear, although a Mobile World Congress debut next month looks likely.