Aspects provide techniques and apparatus for wireless communications (e.g., for saving power when performing control channel processing when in an idle mode or in a “PDCCH only” in connected mode). An exemplary method includes performing, using a processor, a first type of control channel processing in a first connection state using a firmware image stored in internal memory of the processor, wherein performing control channel processing comprises accessing memory external to the processor, determining one or more conditions for entering a low-power mode (LPM) associated with the processor are satisfied, entering the LPM based on the determination, wherein entering into the LPM includes at least one of disabling or disallowing access to the external memory based on entering the LPM, and performing, using the processor, a second type of control channel processing using the firmware image stored in internal memory of the processor based on entering the LPM.