T-Mobile's Jump Program Allows Subscribers Two Phone Upgrades Per Year for $10 Monthly Fee

Imagine if AT&T had acquired T-Mobile like it intended to do before the deal was essentially snuffed by U.S. regulators concerned about unfair competition. We'd have missed out on T-Mobile's rebirth as the so called "Un-Carrier," as the company now likes to refer to itself. T-Mobile's been thinking outside of the box, first by getting rid of service contracts, and now by introducing a new upgrade program that allows subscribers to swap their smartphone twice annually.

The program is called JUMP, and the way it works is you pay $10 per month per phone for the freedom to upgrade to a new device up to two times per year. Those who take advantage of the upgrade program need never worry about being stuck with an obsolete handset, as well as additional peace of mind over lost, stolen, or damaged devices.

Jump
Image Source: Flickr (Evil Erin)

"At some point, big wireless companies made a decision for you that you should have to wait two years to get a new phone for a fair price. That's 730 days of waiting. 730 days of watching new phones come out that you can't have. Or having to live with a cracked screen or an outdated camera," said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile US. "We say two years is just too long to wait. Today, we're changing all that with the launch of JUMP! Now, customers never have to worry about being stuck with the wrong phone. And, yes - it's really as good as it sounds."

Is it worth it? The answer depends on how often you upgrade your phone and whether or not you're already paying for smartphone protection. As T-Mobile points out, the $10 fee is "just $2 more than most customers have been paying for handset protection alone."