FYI,
I requested by secure msg to change my Sapphire Prefererred Visa to Freedom Mastercard. The response is below:
At this time, I'm unable to change your account to a
different product. An account that is open less than 12
months is not eligible to change to a different product.
I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.
However, you can reply back once the account completes 1
year.