A wireless device determines characteristics of a connection established (or being established) with a remote device and implements a power management algorithm based on those characteristics. The wireless device includes a battery power source, a radio transceiver powered by the battery, a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to create, via the transceiver, wireless connections with remote devices in any of a plurality of connection configurations. The controller detects the presence, in a wireless transmission from a remote device, of one or more parameters identifying one of the plurality of configurations. Based on the configuration identified, the controller implements one of a plurality of power management algorithms.