In a world where we choose to replace our smartphones every three years and our bigger-screen tablets around the five-year mark, e-readers have always been outliers.
This tank product line, which was first popularized by the original 2007-released Kindle, often survives for decades. However, even the sturdiest tech can not keep functioning forever if the company powering it decides to pull the plug.
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‘E-reader’ doesn’t just mean ‘Kindle’ any more
The original 2007-released Kindle had an amazing run. It’s almost two decades old at this point and works great, regardless of its barebone functionality compared to some of the latest e-readers. However, it, alongside a few other older Kindle models, will officially lose its most critical functionality starting May 20.
Amazon has announced that Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire devices that were released in 2012 and earlier will “no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store,” as indicated by The Verge.
Here are all the affected devices:
- Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
- Kindle DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010)
- Kindle Keyboard (2010)
- Kindle 4 (2011)
- Kindle Touch (2011)
- Kindle 5 (2012)
- Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012)
- Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011)
- Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012)
- Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012)
- Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)
If your Kindle is on the list above, its days of wireless connectivity are numbered. It’s worth noting though that your Kindle isn’t becoming a paperweight. Anything already downloaded will stay on the device, and you can continue reading those titles indefinitely. It’s the Kindle store that will become a dead link.
Also worth noting is that if you’ve deregistered or factory reset your old Kindle, make sure to re-register it before the May 20 deadline. If not, you’ll be locked out of your Amazon account library forever.
To soften the blow for owners of the above-mentioned Kindle devices, Amazon plans to offer a 20 percent discount on new Kindle devices and a post-upgrade $20 ebook credit.
Amazon will share more information with affected users over email.
