Apple is reportedly working on a new “High Power Mode” that could boost MacBook performance when the device isn’t connected to a power source.
That’s according to a new report from 9to5Mac, which explains that the feature is thought to be similar to the “Pro Mode” that was first spotted in a macOS Catalina beta early last year. Pro Mode never made its public debut, but it seems Cupertino hasn’t given up on the idea.
The macOS Monterey beta 8 contains references to High Power Mode in its code, explains the report. Unlike the Pro Mode leak last year, however, there are no details as to how exactly this would work. However, Pro Mode itself could give us some clues.
When Pro Mode was first discovered inside MacOS Catalina 10.15.3 code, Pro Mode was accompanied by text explaining its expected effects. For instance, one line mentioned “Apps may run faster, but battery life may decrease and fan noise may increase.” There was also a mention of “Fan speed limit overridden.”
If High Power Mode is indeed a continuation of Pro Mode, we would expect a similar outcome. That should mean better performance across the board, at the expense of battery life and fan noise. With that last factor in mind, it will be interesting to see whether High Power Mode gets enabled on the MacBook Air, which since its switch to Apple Silicon no longer needs a fan at all.
High Power Mode could also be a feature reserved for Apple’s rumoured 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro refreshes which are expected to be announced at an October event. The new Macs are anticipated to feature the M1X processor, a souped-up version of the M1 chip released last year.
