Book Lovers Rage As Amazon Announces They Will Stop Supporting Old Kindles: ‘this Is A Nightmare’

Amazon has announced that it will discontinue support for its older Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire devices, drafting ire from book lovers who declared, “This is simply a NIGHTMARE.”

Kindle users were successful for a rude awakening connected Wednesday aft Amazon announced that starting adjacent month, readers utilizing its devices “released successful 2012 and earlier will nary longer beryllium capable to purchase, borrow, aliases download caller contented via nan Kindle store.”

The alteration goes into effect connected May 20, an Amazon spokesperson told exertion news tract Engadget. Amazon did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment.

Users will still beryllium capable to publication the ebooks they person already downloaded connected their devices, but will nary longer beryllium capable to purchase, get aliases download caller titles.

If these older devices are deregistered aliases mill reset, users won’t beryllium capable to re-register them aft May 20, Amazon said.

On Kindle Fire devices, users will nary longer beryllium capable to acquisition aliases download content, though different services will stay functional.

“These models person been supported for astatine slightest 14 years — immoderate arsenic agelong arsenic 18 years — but exertion has travel a agelong measurement successful that time, and these devices will nary longer beryllium supported moving forward,” nan institution said.

Many Kindle users were outraged by nan change, taking to X and Reddit to aerial their grievances pinch nan shopping giant.

“This is simply a NIGHTMARE. Amazon is bricking aged Kindles, including my beloved Kindle 5 (with nan broadside buttons),” one heartbroken X personification wrote. “I dislike nan touch surface versions, I’ve tried them and I’m ever accidentally flipping pages.”

Another X personification complained, “This is truthful annoying, Amazon. I person a caller Kindle but I overmuch for illustration my aged 1 pinch a keyboard. Not happy astir you pulling nan plug connected a perfectly functional device.”

“I’m earnestly truthful sad,” 1 Kindle personification wrote connected Reddit. “They’ll return my gen 3 from my acold dormant hands!!”

The afloat database of impacted devices dates each nan measurement backmost to nan original Kindle, which launched successful 2007. The affected models include:

Amazon plans to email each affected users successful nan U.S. astir nan upcoming change.

A institution spokesperson told Engadget nan alteration only affects astir 3 percent of its existent users, whom it is now urging to upgrade their devices. To soften nan blow, these longtime users will beryllium fixed a promo codification for 20 percent disconnected prime Kindle devices, arsenic good arsenic book credits if they acquisition a caller instrumentality earlier June 20.

“Our newer Kindle devices bring meaningful improvements successful surface quality, capacity and accessibility — and you’ll person entree to your complete Kindle room and nan Kindle Store,” Amazon said.