What consumes more power in phone : Wireless Module Or 3G Or Bluetooth?

@thebigk • Oct 16, 2024

Oct 16, 2024

1.1K

Curious to know if each of these modules are left in power on mode - which of the above three modules would consume more power? Added bluetooth to the list; but I'm more interested in power consumption of Wi-Fi and 3G.

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Gollapinni Karthik Sharma

@gollapinni-karthik-sharma-EgBEXm • Jul 31, 2014

Wifi consumes less power consumption where as 3G uses the most of the power consumption. No idea about bluetooth, guessing it to be lying in between Wifi and 3G.
Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jul 31, 2014

Thanks #-Link-Snipped-# - Is there any place where I could check the power ratings of the modules used in mobile devices? I did random searches on Google, but couldn't find anything useful.
Harshad Italiya

@harshad-ukH5ww • Jul 31, 2014

#-Link-Snipped-# 3G will consume more power as in 3G it uses GSM modem and when you are sending or receiving any data via GSM it peaks goes upto 1/1.5Amp and that consumes your most power.
Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jul 31, 2014

Does that simply mean that I can leave my mobile with wi-fi turned on and it'll eat lesser power than in 'data connection' mode? Does this also apply for 2G mode?

I wonder how so many people leave their 2G/3G connections on all the time?
Gollapinni Karthik Sharma

@gollapinni-karthik-sharma-EgBEXm • Jul 31, 2014

#-Link-Snipped-# : Read the following research papers. You will get an idea about the answers i said.

<a href="https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/575153.Energy_Consumption_in_Android_Phones_when_using_Wireless_Communication_Technologies.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PDF</a>

<a href="https://people.cs.umass.edu/~arun/papers/TailEnder.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PDF</a>

To explain in simple terms as the signal to reach the 3G will far away and to reach that from antenna more power is used to capture such strong signals, and as the usage will also be more as 3G is faster, resulting in more power consumption.

On the other hand wifi is near to your phone so it consumes less power, so it does not need more power to grap the bits to your phoneand its extremely faster. As the speed is really fast and its near to your phone it consumes less power.

And on 3G our phones get heated up faster and very less on Wifi (Personal experiences)
Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jul 31, 2014

Wow! That's exactly what I needed to know! Thanks a lot for sharing it, #-Link-Snipped-# .
Harshad Italiya

@harshad-ukH5ww • Jul 31, 2014

Kaustubh Katdare
Wow! That's exactly what I needed to know! Thanks a lot for sharing it, #-Link-Snipped-# .
So now update your Broadband plan. 😀
Gollapinni Karthik Sharma

@gollapinni-karthik-sharma-EgBEXm • Jul 31, 2014

Yes you can leave your phone switched on WIFI for whole day or two days also. But on data connection mode it uses more power compared.

That is why smart phone users face problem, as people want their phone to live on 3G for minimum of 2 days rather than on WIFI.

2G consumes less than 3G but more than WIFI. Thats why when people do not use 3G they switch off their 3G connection in their phones. You will have option to turn of your 3G, but although even on 2G it consumes more power.
Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jul 31, 2014

Linked the file in the resources section: #-Link-Snipped-#
a.alandkar

@aalandkar-R9Nf1k • Jul 31, 2014

As per my knowledge, not only the data network but also even if you keep 3G n/w selected and the data is off, still it will consume more power. As the functionality og 3g over 2g is different.
PTO

@vipin-thomas-pOv45n • Aug 1, 2014

Improvements in technology. Wifi is becoming the way to go for internet. Wifi hubs are already in place with good speeds...

As speeds increase power consumption will increase, but companies have come with innovation solutions.. 802.11ac wifi spec is a signicant jump..

#-Link-Snipped-#

I feel 3G should only be used in unavoidable situations, although 4G is a game changer..