It's the same objective but not the same approach. It's the difference between getting you to do something with a carrot or with a stick. If you're going to get the phone anyway then might as well take the carrot
Hence I said it's a new form of contract. But it's meaningless distinction. Fine, if you are already planning to get the phone and already planning ot use Tmo, it's purely beneficial. But if you are enticed to purchase Pixel and switch to Tmo, you are still signing up with a new type of plan and you are still having to be on it for 24 months to receive full benefits. The current Tmo One prices isn't as good as older plans any more. In a way it's worse than old contracts because your up front cost is higher. I simply don't understand why there's such a hard line between old and new style of contract as if the new ones are sooo much better.
For me, coming from older Tmo plan, taking this contract would cost me way more in long term.