HTC has confirmed that the new HTC One M8 has a hidden “High Performance Mode” that’s activated automatically when it runs a benchmark test. The company says it’s a feature for those with a thirst for power, and it has explained how users can enable it manually if they wish to do so.

Ever since it was revealed that Samsung secretly boosts handset performance to help its devices score more points in benchmark tests, we’ve been somewhat suspicious about the numbers we get when putting the latest handsets through their paces.

So when the HTC One M8 outperformed the latest Android-powered devices — including the Galaxy S5 and the Xperia Z2 — in a recent AnTuTu 4 test, then came fourth when tested with AnTuTu X, a more recent version of the app designed to curb benchmark cheating, we had a feeling something wasn’t right.

But HTC has been keen to confirm that its latest flagship has a High Performance Mode that boosts its graphics and processing power. It insists this isn’t cheating, and unlike Samsung, it’s happy to let consumers take advantage of the feature.

“Benchmarking tests look to determine maximum performance of the CPU and GPU and, similar to the engine in a high-performance sports car, our engineers optimize in certain scenarios to produce the best possible performance,” the Taiwanese company said in a statement to CNET.

“For those with a need for speed, we’ve provided a simple way to unleash this power by introducing a new High Performance Mode in the developer settings that can be enabled and disabled manually.”

This option isn’t yet available on the U.S. version of the M8, but it will be introduced in a future update.

Before you activate it, however, HTC wants you to know that the M8 is “optimized to provide the best balance of performance and battery life.” Activating High Performance Mode will change that, and you’ll quickly learn that allowing the processor to run at full power will have a negative impact on battery life.

• SourceCNET
• ImageNewGadgets