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Apple patents phone memory trick to speed up 5G network switching

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Apple describes a method for phones to save a specific network setting called an N26 indicator in their permanent memory or SIM card. If the phone loses its current connection, it uses this saved information to quickly reconnect to a compatible network without starting from scratch. The filing also mentions saving settings that help the phone choose which mobile network to use.

Why it mattersThis could make it less annoying when your phone switches between 4G and 5G towers, keeping your connection stable during movement.

In the filing’s own words

Methods, systems, and devices for storing information in a User Equipment (UE) are described. The methods include storing an N26 indicator in non-volatile memory (NVM) and/or a USIM of the UE. If a connection that supports an N26 interface is lost, the stored indicator may be used to facilitate reconnection. The methods also include storing operator controlled signal thresholds for selecting a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method for inter-system mobility, the method comprising: receiving an N26 indicator when connecting to a first network; storing the N26 indicator; losing the connection to the first network after storing the N26 indicator; and connecting to a second network using the N26 indicator.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Storing N26 Interworking and Other Contextual Information in a User Equipment
Publication number
US20260313734A1
Application number
19482519
Filed
May 9, 2024
Published
Oct 8, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
21

Classified under

H04W 76/19 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.