It's a smart move. Get people to focus on the total cost of service -- as well as the cost of the device.
I so tire of people saying "I bought a <fill in the blank> from Carrier A instead of Carrier B, because Carrier A wanted just $99 and Carrier B wanted $199." Yeah, and Carrier A will make back that $100 difference in just two months from higher monthly fees, at which point you'll be paying more for 22 months afterwards.
Making the cost of the handset and service VERY transparent is a huge leap forward. Bravo, T-Mo!