That Kindle device you’ve been holding onto for 15 years now has an expiration date, as Amazon will end support for Kindle models from 2012 or earlier on May 20. An Australian Kindle user first reported the change before Amazon confirmed the news to PCMag and said it will soon email users in the US.
The books that you already downloaded on your Kindle device won’t disappear after next month, but you won’t be able to connect to the network to buy, borrow or download new ones.
If you still have a book that you want to finish reading on one of these devices, make sure that you don’t deregister the device or do a factory reset. In the email shared by an Australian user on Reddit, Amazon says if you deregister or reset the device, you won’t be able to re-register the device or use it at all afterward.
“These models have been supported for at least 14 years — some as long as 18 years — but technology has come a long way in that time, and these devices will no longer be supported moving forward,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNET. “We are notifying those still actively using them and offering promotions to help with the transition to newer devices.”
Switching devices
Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released in 2012 or earlier will lose the ability to download books after May 20. The devices that will be affected are:
- Kindle: 1st Generation (2007), Kindle DX and DX Graphite(2009 and 2010), Kindle Keyboard (2010), Kindle 4 (2011), Kindle Touch (2011), Kindle 5 (2012), and Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012)
- Kindle Fire Tablets: Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011), Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012), Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012), Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)
The first-generation model for Kindle was released in 2007, and e-readers have improved a bit in the time since. Amazon told Engadget that fewer than 3% of its users still use these old devices.
In the email to customers, the company said users will still be able to access their Kindle library and the Kindle store using the Android, iOS or desktop app. You can still read and download books by using the Kindle app on your phone or PC.
Nathan Proctor, senior director for the Right to Repair campaign from the consumer advocacy group PIRG, told CNET that consumers should be able to maintain and use their products longer. “We dispose of way too many electronics, many of which we should be able to fix or update,” Proctor said.
If this service loss feels like a good time to move on from the Kindle world, there are other e-reader options. Calibre is a free, open-source ebook manager that offers a range of features, like reading and organizing ebooks from multiple sources, as well as downloading news articles and websites. Amazon even offers a recycling service for old devices.
If you’re looking for a newer Kindle model or a different reading tablet, check out the CNET list for this year’s best e-readers.
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