A wireless communication apparatus, comprising: a transmit path configured to convert a first signal into a wireless communication signal; an antenna tuner coupled to the transmit path; and a control path coupled to the antenna tuner, the control path comprising: a radio frequency coupler; a switch coupled to the RF coupler; a downconverter coupled to the switch to alternatingly receive an incident power signal from the RF coupler and a reflected power signal from the RF coupler, the downconverter configured to downconvert the incident power signal to a baseband incident power signal or the reflected power signal to a baseband reflected power signal; a power measurement module configured to calculate an incident power based on the baseband incident power signal and calculate a reflected power based on the baseband reflected power signal; and a control module configured to set a tuner step size for the antenna tuner, estimate a square of a reflection coefficient based on the incident power and the reflected power, estimate a first error value indicative of an estimated return loss for an antenna load for a current step setting of the antenna tuner, determine whether the first error value is greater than or equal to a threshold, if the first error value is greater or than or equal to the threshold, determine whether the first error value is greater than or equal to a second error value indicative of an estimated return loss for an antenna load for a next lower step setting of the antenna tuner, if the first error value is greater than or equal to the second error value, send a control signal to the antenna tuner to set the antenna tuner to a next higher step setting and if the first error value is not greater than or equal to the second error value, send a control signal to the antenna tuner to set the antenna tuner to a next lower step setting. a transmit path configured to convert a first signal into a wireless communication signal; an antenna tuner coupled to the transmit path; and a control path coupled to the antenna tuner, the control path comprising: a radio frequency coupler; a switch coupled to the RF coupler; a downconverter coupled to the switch to alternatingly receive an incident power signal from the RF coupler and a reflected power signal from the RF coupler, the downconverter configured to downconvert the incident power signal to a baseband incident power signal or the reflected power signal to a baseband reflected power signal; a power measurement module configured to calculate an incident power based on the baseband incident power signal and calculate a reflected power based on the baseband reflected power signal; and a control module configured to set a tuner step size for the antenna tuner, estimate a square of a reflection coefficient based on the incident power and the reflected power, estimate a first error value indicative of an estimated return loss for an antenna load for a current step setting of the antenna tuner, determine whether the first error value is greater than or equal to a threshold, if the first error value is greater or than or equal to the threshold, determine whether the first error value is greater than or equal to a second error value indicative of an estimated return loss for an antenna load for a next lower step setting of the antenna tuner, if the first error value is greater than or equal to the second error value, send a control signal to the antenna tuner to set the antenna tuner to a next higher step setting and if the first error value is not greater than or equal to the second error value, send a control signal to the antenna tuner to set the antenna tuner to a next lower step setting. a radio frequency coupler; a switch coupled to the RF coupler; a downconverter coupled to the switch to alternatingly receive an incident power signal from the RF coupler and a reflected power signal from the RF coupler, the downconverter configured to downconvert the incident power signal to a baseband incident power signal or the reflected power signal to a baseband reflected power signal; a power measurement module configured to calculate an incident power based on the baseband incident power signal and calculate a reflected power based on the baseband reflected power signal; and a control module configured to set a tuner step size for the antenna tuner, estimate a square of a reflection coefficient based on the incident power and the reflected power, estimate a first error value indicative of an estimated return loss for an antenna load for a current step setting of the antenna tuner, determine whether the first error value is greater than or equal to a threshold, if the first error value is greater or than or equal to the threshold, determine whether the first error value is greater than or equal to a second error value indicative of an estimated return loss for an antenna load for a next lower step setting of the antenna tuner, if the first error value is greater than or equal to the second error value, send a control signal to the antenna tuner to set the antenna tuner to a next higher step setting and if the first error value is not greater than or equal to the second error value, send a control signal to the antenna tuner to set the antenna tuner to a next lower step setting.