T-Mobile's 'JUMP' program has been around for years, and was originally designed for customers to upgrade their phones up to two times in the same year. The plan was later replaced in 2016 with a new version that limited the upgrade cycle, and now T-Mobile is forcing anyone still on the original plan to switch later this year.

The change was first reported by a Reddit post on Wednesday, and was later confirmed by T-Mobile itself in a public statement on Thursday. Starting on October 6, 2022, customers on the original JUMP 1.0 plan will be moved to the newer JUMP 2.0 program. The newer version doesn't have a wait time or limits on when you can upgrade, but it does require you to pay off at least half the price of your device before upgrading.

T-Mobile said in a support article, "with JUMP 2.0 there is no wait and no limits as to when you can upgrade as long as your current device is at least 50% paid off and enrolled in Protection<360>. Once eligible, you can upgrade and trade-in your current device and get full credit for all remaining payments on your current device. Up to half of the cost of the original device can be applied towards the new device which means deeply discounted new device pricing."

The change has surprised some customers and T-Mobile employees, as carriers rarely push customers off older plans and promotions unless lines are added or removed (usually referred to as 'grandfathering').

T-Mobile agreed in 2020 to maintain existing customer plans and pricing for at least five years, as part of a deal with 11 U.S. states and Washington D.C., to settle legal disputes related to its merger with Sprint. Some have pointed to the change as T-Mobile breaking the agreement, but as The T-Mo Report pointed out, the deal doesn't seem to cover changes to plan features.

T-Mobile is also being criticized for its treatment of authorized Sprint service dealers, which has led to a series of ongoing lawsuits from at least four companies.

Source: T-Mobile Support, The T-Mo Report, Reddit