Amazon is closing the book on a swath of aging Kindles, and long-time users are not exactly applauding, reports the BBC. Devices released in 2012 or earlier—including the original Kindle, Kindle Touch, first-gen Paperwhite, and early Kindle Fire tablets—will lose the ability to buy, borrow, or download new content from the Kindle Store starting May 20, 2026, the company told customers by email. Owners will still be able to read titles already on their devices and access their libraries via Amazon's apps, and Wired notes that users can manually download books via USB, but a factory reset will effectively kill the old e-readers.
Amazon says the models have had up to 18 years of support and that discounts are being offered to help people upgrade, citing security and aging hardware. Critics see something else: "soft-bricking" millions of still-working gadgets and adding to e-waste. One repair advocate estimates that up to 2 million devices could be sidelined, potentially generating more than 600 tons of electronic trash. Some readers, like 46-year-old Kay Aaronicks, say they're reluctant to give up devices that still do the one job they want—quietly displaying text, without the ads and distractions that now clog many newer screens. "It's about taking yourself away from reality and disconnecting from advertising, marketing, social media, all those other things that we're surrounded with in life," she says.
Soon to enter the dust heap are:
- Kindle: Kindle 1st Generation (2007), Kindle DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010), Kindle Keyboard (2010), Kindle 4 (2011), Kindle Touch (2011), Kindle 5 (2012), and Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012).
- Kindle Fire tablets: Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011), Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012), Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012), Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012).
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