Are New MacBook Pros on the Horizon?

Image: Apple

Did you hear that?

That’s the sound of yet another Apple rumor.

Apple might be highly secretive, but that doesn’t stop everyone else from chatting. AppleInsider reported Tuesday the company is preparing a refresh of the MacBook Pro line ahead of the holiday shopping season. The motivation for this unexpected surprise comes from Intel, which decided its next-gen Core i-Series mobile platform will debut the second quarter of 2012.

What will the refresh entail? Just “marginal speed bumps” to the computers’ processors, according to AppleInsider. Other than that, don’t expect any material changes. The timing might be soon too. Apple’s back-to-school promotion ends Sept. 20, and sources say the refresh might come shortly after, before the end of the month.

While the refresh is unexpected, the reason “is likely geared towards assuring the Mac maker’s top-selling notebook family remains competitive in the market until Intel releases its next-generation Ivy Bridge platform at some point in 2012,” AppleInsider reported. Ivy Bridge, which is expected to be 60 percent faster with its integrated graphics, was originally expected to be released in late 2011, but leaked documents suggest it is now slated in the first half of 2012.

A week ago, Intel refreshed its Sandy Bridge processors, lowering the costs on some chips, phasing out a few others and adding four new Core i7 chips suitable for the MacBook Pro. Apple last updated the MacBook Pro limeup in February with dual-core Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 chips, with speeds up to 2.3 gigahertz.

If Apple does indeed introduce new MacBook Pros and iPhones this fall, it’ll make shopping that much more tempting.