When Verizon Wireless unveiled its "Verizon Edge" early-upgrade plan in July 2013, the company allowed customers to switch to a new smartphone once they paid off 50 percent of the cost of their original device.

But the amount that Verizon Edge customers had to pay to be eligible for an early upgrade kept creeping up, to 60 percent in June 2014 and then 75 percent in October 2014. Today, it's come to the logical conclusion: you can only upgrade to a new device once you've paid off the entire cost of the existing one.

Verizon spun the news as a positive step in a press release titled "Verizon Edge Making it Easier to Upgrade and Experience Verizon’s 4G LTE Network."

"Upgrading to a new smartphone has never been simpler with changes coming to the Verizon Edge program," Verizon spokesperson David Samberg wrote. "Beginning May 31, Verizon Edge customers can upgrade at any time after their prior Edge device is paid in full."

Instead of providing a hardware subsidy and requiring an up-front device payment, Verizon Edge splits the cost of the device into 24 monthly installments, except when customers pay it off early in order to upgrade. Customers on standard contracts pay $40-per-month line charges for each phone (in addition to data charges), while Verizon Edge customers pay $15 per line.

Last November, Verizon also changed its non-Edge contracts to boost early termination fees by up to $70. More than 50 percent of Verizon customers now sign up with Edge when activating or upgrading phones, the company says.

The one positive change to Edge today is that customers will be able to upgrade immediately instead of waiting. But it isn't much of a change, because you could already upgrade after 30 days if you've paid off 75 percent of the cost of the device.

Verizon's Edge website still quotes the old policy of allowing upgrades "After 30 days and [once] 75 percent of the current Edge device is paid off." Samberg confirmed to Ars that will be changed on May 31.

"Customers who activate or upgrade before May 31st will still be under the old upgrade terms—after 30 days and 75 percent paid, customers can upgrade but are required to turn in their phone is good working condition," he told Ars. "Terms for customers who activate on Edge on or after May 31st are upgrade whenever you want once device paid in full."

Customers can do whatever they want with the phones if they've paid off the full cost, he noted. If customers don't want to keep the phone or give it to a friend or family member, they can trade it in for a bill credit or donate it to Verizon's HopeLine program for victims of domestic violence.