Your suggestion of intelligent power saving sounds like something that should be built in already at chipset level, just like with modern CPUs. But software should be able to flip the switch as well.

I wonder if there would be more interest in the Developers' forum?

Meanwhile something that could help improve VoIP quality is enabling and adjusting the QoS (quality of service) setting in your wireless router, if it is available. After installing Linux-based 3rd party firmware onto my router and tinkering with its Qos settings the quality of my VoIP connections improved noticeably.