Everyone is saying that Wi-Fi is more power-efficient than 3G on smartphones.
But, I don't think so, because two radios are turned on at the same time, the 3G radio is still active when enabling Wi-Fi
There is some reliable proof to support this?
Skeptics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for scientific skepticism. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityEveryone is saying that Wi-Fi is more power-efficient than 3G on smartphones.
But, I don't think so, because two radios are turned on at the same time, the 3G radio is still active when enabling Wi-Fi
There is some reliable proof to support this?
Yes, WiFi is significantly more efficient, as the protocol is completely different. Once association with access point is established, WiFi only uses energy for actual transmission of data. On the other hand 3G remains in high-power state even after transmission is done.
It's also worth mentioning, that WiFi has legal limit of power output of 200mW (0.2W), while 3G devices legal power limit is 2W.