# Do mobile phones..

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mobile-phones/253385>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 3, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mobile-phones/253385 "2004-07-03T18:02:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Halge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8baadc/32.png) [@Halge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Halge)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mobile-phones/253385/1 "2004-07-03T18:02:10Z")

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Do mobile/cell phones measure the distance to the station and adjust output power to prolong battery life?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mobile-phones/253385/2 "2004-07-03T18:05:12Z")

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> [@Hälge](#):
>
> Do mobile/cell phones measure the distance to the station and adjust output power to prolong battery life?

Sort of. Many (most?) cell phones will measure incoming signal strength (nearly all of them do that anyway, to display the signal strength meter) and adjust the output power accordingly, to conserve battery power.