T-Mobile unveils Jump, ‘the best upgrade program in America’

T-Mobile Jump (teaser 001)

So, both AT&T and Verizon are now making you wait longer to upgrade to a brand spanking new smartphone, going from 20 to 24 months?

That’s exactly where T-Mobile is hoping to leapfrog the nation’s leading telcos with its new upgrade initiative called Jump.

As reported earlier today, Jump basically lets you upgrade when you want, not when you’re told (“two years is too tong to wait” to upgrade your phone”).

More precisely, you can upgrade up to twice a year as soon as six months from enrollment. So welcome to the Jump upgrade club my friend and don’t forget to jump past the fold (pun intended) for the full breakdown…

It’s T-Mobile’s “boldest move yet” as America’s Un-carrier.

At a press conference in New York earlier today, the carrier’s outspoken CEO announced Jump.

Here’s your money quote:

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 Or having to live with a cracked screen or an outdated camera.

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.

He’s such a boss, no?

On to the fine print.

For starters, membership in the Jump club will set you back ten bucks per month, per phone (plus taxes and fees). “That’s just $2 more than most customers have been paying for handset protection alone,” the firm remarked.

Jump phone upgrades are financed through T-Mobile’s Equipment Installment Program (EIP), twice every twelve months after you’ve been in the program for at least six months. You’ll be able to purchase Jump when you add Services to your order.

T-Mobile Jump (carrier upgrades comparison)
One comparison chart to rule them all

Upgrading your device couldn’t be easier: simply waltz inside a participating store come this Sunday and trade in an eligible T-Mobile phone, which has to be in good working condition, at which point the telco will eliminate any remaining EIP payments.

“Current customers can purchase new phones for the same upfront pricing as new customers, with device financing and Simple Choice Plan, a no-annual-service contract,” T-Mobile confirmed.

The Jump offering goes into effect Sunday, July 14.

They created a few nice ads to push Jump into the public’s consciousness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HbLXtlsuCM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9hZmzbbM_M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMsMGIA2C1E

And my favorite, titled ‘Urinal’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KFpy0SxD3Y

‘Bus Stop’ is also nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHqeMEspJSA

As for news regarding T-Mobile’s LTE, the official media release put out today mentions their fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network now reaches 157 million people in 116 metro areas [coverage map], thanks to an aggressive network expansion.

That’s well beyond T-Mobile’s self-imposed goal of blanketing a hundred million people with LTE by mid-2013. By contrast, T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ network service is available to 228 million people nationwide.

The Bellevue, Washington headquartered telco remains on target to reach 200 million people in 200 markets by year’s end. Speaking of LTE, T-Mobile added new devices to its stable of LTE-enabled gear, like the Sony Xperia Z, Nokia Lumia 925 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.

T-Mobile Jump (presser, John Legere)

Last but not the least, the Deutsche Telekom-owned company launched a new family plan, available from July 14, which sells four phone lines with unlimited talk/text/web with up to 500MB of LTE data in exchange for $100 per month, with no credit check or annual service contract requirement.

It wouldn’t be a T-Mobile presser without some NSFW language. For instance, this is how Legere forecast smartphone sales for 2014: “We’re going to sell a shitload more”.

Who needs numbers, right?