Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) with multiple power amplifiers and antennas in a mobile transmitter, such as a user equipment for a cellular telephone communication system, has such great impacts on the transmitter's battery life, form factor, and complexity that it should not be used unless its benefits clearly outweigh its costs. Methods and apparatus enable the benefits of MIMO by beam-forming and antenna-switching to be obtained without incurring the drawbacks of increased current consumption due to multiple power amplifiers.