Stephen Elop, the Nokia CEO, thinks dual-core and quad-core processors are just a waste of battery in mobile phones and that, to the consumers, they aren’t all that useful.

That's the translation that Unwired View has from an Elop interview with the Yangcheng Evening News. Elop was speaking to the Chinese news outlet ahead of the Nokia Lumia 800's launch in the region this month.

The quote is not surprising given that Windows Phone - Nokia's OS of choice since Elop wielded the axe on Symbian and MeeGo - doesn't really cater for dual-core devices. Not yet, at least.

Reports earlier this month, purported that Microsoft's Windows Phone engineering team is currently testing the Qualcomm MSM8960 CPU and that the dual-core 1.5GHz system-on-chip was undergoing tests to get it ready in time for "at least one" Windows Phone 8 device that will land later this year.

Also, back in October we told you how Microsoft was planning dual-core LTE capable Windows Phone 7 handsets according to WP7 unit boss Andy Lees. Speaking to Allthingsd.com, Lees explained that Microsoft had new multi-core Windows Phone 7 handsets in the pipeline, in order to keep up with the cutting edge Android competition.

We wonder then, what Elop will be saying by the time these devices land?

Take a look at our brilliant feature - Aren't smartphones fast enough?