User equipment having multiple subscriber identity modules with improved suspend / resume operation

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• determine to perform a cellular communication using a second SIM;
• in response to the determination to perform the cellular communication using the second SIM, transmit a request to a first cellular network to release a first radio resource control (RRC) connection;
• receive a message from the first cellular network to release the first RRC connection and change the RRC state associated with the first SIM from a first RRC state to a second RRC state;
• perform the cellular communication using the second SIM;
• and
• after performance of the cellular communication using the second SIM, transmit a preferred next state indication to the first cellular network indicating a preferred next RRC state selected from a group comprising RRC Connected, RRC Inactive and RRC Idle states.

A method for operating a user equipment device (UE), the method comprising:

• performing cellular data communications with a first cellular network using a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE and a first radio resource control (RRC) connection in a first RRC state associated with the first SIM;
• determining to perform a cellular communication using a second SIM;
• in response to determining to perform the cellular communication using the second SIM, determining to leave the first RRC state;
• in response to determination to leave the first RRC state, transmitting a request to the first cellular network to release the first RRC connection;
• after transmission of the request to release the first RRC connection, receiving a message from the first cellular network to release the first RRC connection and change the RRC state associated with the first SIM from the first RRC state to a second RRC state;
• performing the cellular communication using the second SIM;
• and
• after performing the cellular communication using the second SIM, transmitting a preferred next state indication to the first cellular network indicating a preferred next RRC state selected from a group comprising RRC Connected, RRC Inactive and RRC Idle states.