Amazon will end support for Kindle e‑readers released in 2012 or earlier, preventing those devices from downloading new books or receiving software updates starting tomorrow, May 20.
This news has pushed owners to bulk‑load titles, disable WiFi, seek jailbreak and sideloading workarounds, and complain about the loss of durable hardware features, while Amazon has offered a 20% discount on recent models priced from $110 to $680m plus $20 in e‑book credits.
“It’s just a complete betrayal of customers,” said Claudia Buonocore, a 39‑year‑old Pittsburgh area resident who owns a 15‑year‑old Kindle Touch.
Brian Oelberg said he has loaded roughly 250 titles onto his 2010‑era Kindle Keyboard and plans to switch off its WiFi to avoid any automatic updates that could render the device unusable.
Owners say older Kindles last longer and physical page‑turn buttons let them read outdoors with gloves, and they complain newer backlit models such as the Paperwhite drain battery faster.
Amazon said it had supported the affected devices for 14 years or more and could not continue doing so indefinitely, noting that technology has moved on.
Amazon popularised e‑readers with the original 2007 Kindle and now holds 72% of the e‑reader market, according to Business Research Insights.
Repair hobbyist Cathy Ryan said the change will hurt her eBay resale business, and other users said they will likely replace aging devices despite their frustration.