That Kindle device you’ve owned for 15 years has now reached its 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 would soon email users in the US.
Books you’ve already downloaded to your Kindle device won’t disappear after the next month, but you won’t be able to connect to the network to buy, borrow, or download new books.
If you still have a book you want to finish reading on one of these devices, make sure you don’t unregister the device or do a factory reset. In an email shared by Australian user on RedditAmazon says that if you deregister or reset the device, you won’t be able to re-register the device or use it later.
A representative for Amazon has not yet responded to CNET’s request for comment.
The company also included in the email a promo code for 20% off select new Kindle devices and an ebook credit that is added to your account after purchasing a new device. However, there is no information on whether this discount is limited to Australia or whether a version will be offered for US users.
switching devices
Kindle 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 and 2nd generation
- Kindle DX and DX Graphite
- kindle keyboard
- kindle 4
- kindle touch
- kindle 5
- kindle paperwhite first generation
The first generation model for the Kindle was released in 2007, and e-readers have improved little since then. Amazon Told Engadget Less than 3% of its users still use these older devices.
In an 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 apps. You can still read and download books using the Kindle app on your phone or PC.
If this service loss seems like a good time to move on from the Kindle world, there are other e-reader options. expansion of intelligence is a free, open-source ebook manager that offers a variety of features, such as reading and organizing ebooks from multiple sources, as well as downloading news articles and websites.
If you’re looking for a new Kindle model or a different reading tablet, check out CNET’s list of this year’s best e-readers.
