Methods and apparatus for adaptively adjusting receiver operation for e.g., power optimization. In one embodiment, operation during diversity operation is adaptively adjusted. Diversity techniques consume significantly more power than non-diversity operation. However, the performance gain from receiver diversity is not always predictable. Consequently, in one embodiment, a device evaluates the overall performance gain contributed by diversity operation and, where the performance gain is insignificant or inadequate, the device disables diversity operation. In one implementation, the device can operate in a static single antenna mode, a dynamic single antenna mode and a dynamic multiple antenna mode.