Amazon plans to halt support for certain older Kindle e-readers, meaning owners will lose the ability to buy or download fresh material from the company’s store. This change applies to models launched in 2012 or before and takes effect on May 20, 2026. Impacted devices include early versions like the Kindle Touch and select Fire tablets, with estimates suggesting up to two million units could be affected.
Users can continue reading books already on their devices, and their accounts and libraries will stay available through apps on phones, computers, and other platforms. The company is providing discounts to active customers to encourage upgrades to modern devices. However, resetting affected Kindles to factory settings will render them inoperable.
Online discussions, including those on tech sites like The Verge, show user dissatisfaction, with complaints about unnecessary waste and devices becoming useless despite remaining functional.
The models involved are: Kindle first generation (2007), Kindle DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010), Kindle Keyboard (2010), Kindle fourth generation (2011), Kindle Touch (2011), Kindle fifth generation (2012), and Kindle Paperwhite first generation (2012). For Kindle Fire: first generation (2011), second generation (2012), HD 7-inch (2012), and HD 8.9-inch (2012).
Ugo Vallauri from the Restart Project in south London, an organization promoting electronics repair, commented to the BBC that companies frequently promote upgrades with promises of improved features when dropping support for legacy products. He argued this is not sufficient justification for disabling millions of operational devices. Vallauri noted that while only about 3% of users might be impacted, estimates indicate this could lead to two million obsolete units, producing more than 624 tons of electronic waste.
Tech analyst Paolo Pescatore explained to the BBC that the choice makes sense for security and maintenance reasons. He pointed out that these older devices were designed for an earlier time and lack the capacity for current data-intensive applications and functions, with outdated hardware adding to the issues.
An Amazon representative stated: ‘From May 20, 2026, owners of Kindle and Kindle Fire models from 2012 and prior will be unable to purchase, rent, or obtain new items from the Kindle store. These products have received support for at least 14 years, and some up to 18 years, but advancements in technology mean we can no longer maintain them.’
