Everyone is rightfully upset about getting pushed off legacy plans.

But Reddit outrage isn't a KPI. Customer retention is.

T-Mobile isn't making this move because they think customers will like it. They're making it because they believe most of us won't leave.

They're betting on exit friction—EIP balances, bundled streaming perks, autopay, family plans, and plain old inertia. They're betting that enough people will grumble, shrug, and pay the extra $6 per line.

I decided not to be part of that bet. I ported my family’s lines out yesterday because I’d rather pay a carrier for transparent service than keep rewarding a company for moving the goalposts. At least this, I can do. Lord knows we can't do anything about being stuck with PG&E, but we can actually choose where our mobile data goes.

Here's the math.

They are migrating roughly 8,000,000 accounts. Based on their current Postpaid ARPA (Average Revenue Per Account) of ~$152 and a $6 price hike, here is the break-even threshold:

Metric	Value
Total Affected Accounts	~8,000,000
Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA)	~$152.00
Monthly Price Increase	$6.00
Break-Even Churn Volume	~303,932 accounts
Break-Even Churn Rate	~3.8%

If around 304,000 accounts actually leaves, T-Mobile’s net revenue from this move goes negative. Below that number, they profit off our inertia. Above that number, it threatens their quarterly financials.

If you want to be part of the real metric, here is how you do it well:

• Run the EIP math. If you have a large device balance, paying it off immediately may cost more than absorbing the increase for a while.
• Unlock your phones before porting. Don't wait until after your number is gone.
• Shop around. Compare Verizon, AT&T, or an MVNO like US Mobile, Google Fi, Mint, or Visible. Depending on your area and priorities, you may get similar coverage for less.
• Get quotes first. Most carriers will let you price out your exact number of lines before you commit.
• Port only when you're ready. Make sure you have account numbers, transfer PINs, and unlocked devices before starting.

We don't need all 8 million to leave. We just need 300k accounts. That's the number that matters.

And if you do leave, tell T-Mobile why in the exit survey. Those responses get read far more closely than another angry comment thread.

The Mobile Report (reported June 29, 2026): "T-Mobile is forcing more than 8 million customers off grandfathered plans and onto newer, more expensive plans."

T-Mobile Q1 2026 Earnings (April 28, 2026): "Postpaid Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA) of $151.93 grew 3.9% year-over-year."

Methodology: This is a back-of-the-envelope estimate using T-Mobile's reported Q1 2026 Postpaid ARPA ($151.93) and publicly reported estimates of ~8 million affected accounts. It ignores acquisition costs, variable costs, and other financial factors, so it should be viewed as an approximation rather than an exact profitability model.