T-Mobile

T-Mobile has reportedly blacked out employee vacations between September 20th and 22nd, according to TMO News. Employee vacation blackouts normally occur around big product launches to ensure there are enough employees around to assist customers. The only known upcoming announcement is the Samsung Galaxy Note III on September 4th, but it is more likely T-Mobile is preparing for the launch of the rumored iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

Apple is expected to announce both the iPhone 5S and low cost iPhone 5C on September 10th. Apple typically announces new devices on a Tuesday or Wednesday before releasing them on a following Friday. This means a September 20th release date would fall in place with previous Apple product launches.

T-Mobile is really determined to turn the mobile world upside down by breaking all the rules. At an event in New York today, T-Mobile announced its new JUMP plan, which allows customers to upgrade their phones up to twice a year.

"We are going to redefine a stupid, broken and arrogant industry," T-Mobile US CEO John Legere said at the press event. "Two years is too long to be locked into a phone. That's 730 days of watching new phones come out that you cannot have."

T-Mobile subscribers can join the the JUMP program for only $10 a month. After the first six months of enrollment, JUMP subscribers will be able to trade in eligible phones to participating T-Mobile stores and upgrade to a new device. Equipment Installment Plans will be erased, and customers will be able to buy their new device for a new upfront price. This is a great plan for early adopters who like to acquire the latest smartphones as soon as they're released.

T-Mobile never let on that its $99 down payment for the iPhone 5 was only a month long promotion, but according to Tmo News, all T-Mobile's iPhone 5 models will see a $50 price increase starting today. The monthly payments of $20 a month will stay the same, but the down payment is now $149. This means T-Mobile customers will pay $629 for the 16GB model over 24 months. An off-contract iPhone 5 costs $649 in comparison. So the iPhone 5 is still cheaper through T-Mobile, but you're getting a locked model, instead of an unlocked model.

The iPhone 5 now costs the same amount as the Galaxy S4, however, T-Mobile is still offering the HTC One for $99 down. HTC fans may want to take advantage of this deal before it also disappears.

Before it officially rolled out the iPhone, T-Mobile enabled LTE for customers using unlocked iPhones on its network, but according to TmoNews, the update also "negatively affected the signal and speeds achieved on the company’s refarmed PCS 1900MHz" spectrum. Luckily for T-Mobile subscribers, two TmoNews users "hacked" the carrier update to boost the data speeds of the T-Mobile iPhone. The hack does not require a jailbroken device, and it works on both the iPhone 5 and the AT&T/unlocked model. This means most T-Mobile customers will see increased data speeds by following the instructions below.

As always, make sure you backup your device before doing anything to your phone. You can also get the original carrier update from TmoNews if anything goes wrong. Be sure to thank @joe012594 and @cooldayr2 via Twitter, or ask them any questions if you need help.

T-Mobile announced it has sold more than 500,000 iPhones since it began selling the device in April, but the carrier also reported a 7 percent decline in revenue, according to AllThingsD. However, CEO John Legere said changes like acquiring MetroPCS and ending phone subsidies are having a "positive impact" on the company.

“Our first quarter operating metrics and financial results are showing positive impact from the changes we began making in the fourth quarter. CEO John Legere said in a statement. "Things only get more exciting from here, having brought T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS together to create the wireless industry’s value leader and premier challenger.”