Kindle Users Outraged as Amazon Ends Support for Older Models — Blocking Owners From Buying More Books From Next Month

Veteran owners of Amazon's Kindle devices person reacted successful disbelief aft being told they'll nary longer beryllium capable to buy, get oregon download much books from adjacent month.

Amazon is present contacting owners of Kindle devices released successful 2012 and earlier to authorities that their e-reader's functionality volition beryllium downgraded from May 20. After this point, it volition nary longer beryllium imaginable to adhd caller books to existing accounts.

Owners volition inactive beryllium capable to entree their existing publication libraries arsenic agelong arsenic their relationship is registered to the device. But, aft May 20, these older Kindles volition not beryllium capable to beryllium utilized astatine each by immoderate aboriginal idiosyncratic — arsenic registering a caller relationship volition not beryllium possible. After this, a mill reset volition marque them wholly unusable — turning this eBook scholar into thing much than a paperweight.

A Kindle is astir apt 1 of the astir low-tech devices ever made, truthful wherefore is @AmazonUK discontinuing enactment for Kindle 1st and 2nd Generation? Why are they forcing caller worldly without reason? A KINDLE IS A TEXT DEVICE! There is nary request for updates. Text is text! #amazon #kindle pic.twitter.com/jK2XO3IE8X

Impacted devices see the Kindle 1st and 2nd Generation models, Kindle DX, Kindle DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Touch, Kindle 4, Kindle 5 and Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation.

Owners of these devices are besides present being pushed to buying a caller exemplary arsenic a replacement, with Amazon offering 20% disconnected prime models and a tiny eBook recognition (which, of course, you'll request a caller Kindle successful bid to spend).

"Thank you for being a long-time Kindle customer," an email sent by Amazon reads. "We're gladsome our devices person served you good for arsenic agelong arsenic they have."

No circumstantial crushed was fixed for wherefore Amazon is making these models obsolete now, though the retail elephantine said that its newer models had since brought "meaningful improvements successful surface quality, show and accessibility."

The quality has not gone down good with owners who are inactive happily utilizing their older Kindle models present without complaint, and who look mystified arsenic to wherefore their deliberately low-tech instrumentality is being made redundant, successful spot of flashier models.

"Why are they forcing caller worldly without reason?" wrote Kindle idiosyncratic HugoCGuerra connected societal media. "A KINDLE IS A TEXT DEVICE! There is nary request for updates. Text is text!"

Some users person expressed interest that the determination is intended to propulsion readers towards newer Kindle models that enactment much precocious (and for Amazon, much lucrative) adverts — thing deliberately take carnal books oregon book-like eReaders to effort and avoid.

According to a BBC News report, Amazon has said this alteration volition lone interaction 3% of Kindle users — but this is believed to inactive mean 2 cardinal devices. That's a batch of paperweights.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social