Analogue dialogue [3G mobile phone power saving]

Power consumption remains a challenge in the design of 3G mobile phones. Although power-saving design is generally associated with the digital part of a multimedia terminal, careful partitioning between analogue and digital implementation can yield big power savings, particularly the audio and user-interface subsystems. This article suggests various power-saving strategies, illustrated by examples in the audio output, audio sample rate conversion, codecs, and touchscreen interface subsystems.