An upgrade, by definition, is a change of plan and phone on an existing mobile number.
What matters is not the retailer you purchase your chosen device from, but that you buy it as an upgrade and not as a new connection which will come with (what will effectively be) an additional line.
You can't do a standard upgrade within 45 days of your min. contract term through a 3rd-party. That's an EE offer.
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I recommend to do a search for "third party upgrade" on these forums to see the latest experience other customers have reported and some historical issues that people have had which may be much improved now.
I would only recommend going ahead if someone reports a recent known-good experience.
There are some suggestions to approach EE to get a partial match of a third party offer to avoid middleman issues as third party customers of EE can be treated differently to direct customers of EE, including being directed to that third party to resolve issues and being redirected back to EE to handle. Good luck!
