If your old Kindle is your go-to when you want to crack open a book, you may need to look for a new one or another option.
Amazon announced it will end support for e-reader models released in 2012 or earlier, CNET reported.
The good news is that if you already have books on the now “vintage” models, they will remain. But, you won’t be able to buy, borrow or download new ones after next month.
Keep in mind, if you deregister or factory reset the older models, the library will disappear from the device and you won’t be able to reregister or use the Kindle at all, CNET said.
“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.”
The following devices will be left unsupported after May 20, according to USA Today:
- Kindle 1st Gen (2007)
- Kindle DX (2009)
- Kindle DX Graphite (2010)
- Kindle Keyboard (2010)
- Kindle 4 (2011)
- Kindle Touch (2011)
- Kindle 5 (2012)
- Kindle Paperwhite 1st Gen (2012)
- Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011)
- Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012)
- Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012)
- Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)
To find out what Kindle you have, go to the device, select All Settings, then Device Options, then Device Info, Amazon said.
You can also check your Amazon account.
Despite the devices not being supported, Kindle customers can still access their digital libraries and use the Kindle store. If you don’t decide to upgrade the device, you can still read and download books on the Kindle app, either on your phone, tablet, or PC.
Owners of the soon-to-be non-supported models will receive a 20% discount on some new Kindle devices and a $20 eBook credit, USA Today reported.
Users will be alerted by email about the change and the eBook credit will be automatically added to accounts after purchasing a new device, with the credit valid through June 20th, according to PC Mag.
While Amazon said that technology has improved over the nearly 20 years since the introduction of the Kindle, not everyone agrees that older versions should be sunset.
Senior director of the Right to Repair campaign at PIRG, Nathan Proctor, said people should be able to use their devices longer than companies allow.
“We dispose of way too many electronics, many of which we should be able to fix or update,” he told CNET.
TechCrunch said users who still use the older devices see no reason to replace them and that it’s another round of companies pushing that customers buy new devices, adding to electronic waste.
“I’ve had my Kindle for years, but it still works perfectly and continues to serve me well. How wasteful is it to make a product practically unusable in order to force people to buy a newer model?” one Reddit user posted, according to TechCrunch.
Global e-waste is estimated to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, or 32% higher than in 2022, according to the United Nations for Training and Research (UNITAR).
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