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macOS beta hints at future ‘Pro Mode’ to boost performance on portable Macs

With the launch of the 16-inch MacBook Pro and the new Mac Pro, Apple is increasingly focusing on the professional consumer market. Now we have found evidence that the company is working on a new feature for macOS that should further improve the workflow for professionals.

The latest macOS Catalina 10.15.3 beta build contains references to a new “Pro Mode,” which can be turned on and off by users. Some strings mention that “Apps may run faster, but battery life may decrease and fan noise may increase” and “Fan speed limit overridden” when the Pro Mode is activated.

As these strings are directly related to the macOS power management system, we think that it will be possible to temporarily improve the machine’s performance by ignoring some restrictions to save energy. The internal fans will run at a higher speed with Pro Mode, probably to avoid thermal throttling issues. Similar to Do Not Disturb, Pro Mode is supposed to be automatically disabled by the next day.

While we’re not sure about the availability of the Pro Mode, it seems that it was developed only for MacBooks. Compatibility is also uncertain, but some evidence suggests it will only work with models that have the new thermal design introduced with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple today registered a new model of MacBook, which may be an updated version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the scissor keyboard and the new thermal design. Although this is not confirmed, perhaps the company is waiting for the release of this new MacBook to announce the Pro Mode.

What do you think of this possibility? Let us know in the comments below.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.