Apple is reportedly planning an upgrade to its MacBook Pro notebooks with a marginal speed bump in time for the holiday season.

According to a report from Apple Insider, industry sources say the late 2011 models will get a speed bump to the models' Core i-Series of Sandy Bridge processors but aside from a faster processing speed there will be no other material changes to the existing models.

The new models are apparently a way for Apple to bridge the gap between Intel's next generation Core i-Series mobile platform that will be released next year and this year's processors. Intel's next generation Ivy Bridge platform was originally intended to launch in late 2011 but has been pushed back to 2012. Instead Intel has recently refreshed its Sandy Bridge lineup of processors with four new Core i7 chips in addition to reducing prices on other chips and phasing out a handful of others.

The upgrades will replace the 2.0 Ghz, 2.2 Ghz and 2.3 Ghz versions offered in the current MacBook Pro line with the new 2.4 Ghz, 2.5 Ghz and 2.7 Ghz quad core Core i7 processors. A 2.8 Ghz dual core Core i7 will also upgrade the current 2.7 Ghz 13-inch MacBook Pro.

As for the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, Apple can choose between Intel's Core i5 chips at speeds of 2.5 Ghz to 2.6 Ghz.

An upgrade of the MacBook Pro line could be introduced as early as the end of September. Apple last updated its popular MacBook Pro line back in February so an upgrade before next year's release of Intel's new processors will keep Apple's notebooks relevant through the end of the year.