A data processing apparatus and method that relate to the field of communications network technologies are provided which are used to solve a problem of how to reduce power consumption of a UE. In embodiments of the present invention, an acquiring module acquires a first maximum downlink delay tolerance (MDDT) sent by a core network entity, and provides the first MDDT to a determining module, where the first MDDT indicates a maximum delay tolerance value corresponding to processing, by the apparatus, downlink data of all services on the apparatus; the determining module determines time information of a first MDDT timer by using the first MDDT; and a changing module changes a UE status according to the time information of the first MDDT timer determined by the determining module or changes a UE status according to time information of a first IST.