Amazon, a United States-based tech giant, has announced it will soon end support for several older Kindle devices, a decision that has sparked frustration among long-time users who say perfectly working gadgets are being rendered obsolete.
In emails sent to affected customers, the company thanked them for being “a longtime Kindle customer” but confirmed that devices released during or before 2012 will no longer receive updates starting 20 May.
As a result, owners of some of the earliest Kindle models including the Kindle Touch and select Kindle Fire tablets,will no longer be able to download new e-books once the change takes effect.
Amazon said it has supported the devices for many years and has offered discounts to affected customers to help them “transition to newer devices”.
However, critics have accused the company of effectively making up to two million devices obsolete.
“I have a Kindle Touch that I’ve had since 2013, it works great, I bought a book on it a few months ago, and suddenly it’s obsolete,” one X user wrote in a post tagging Amazon.
Another user also expressed anger at the decision, describing the Kindle as “probably one of the most low-tech devices ever made” and questioning why support was being withdrawn.
“A Kindle is a text device! There is no need for updates.”
In an official statement, an Amazon spokesperson said, “Starting May 20, 2026, customers using Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released in 2012 and earlier will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store.
“These models have been supported for at least 14 years, some as long as 18 years,but technology has come a long way in that time, and these devices will no longer be supported moving forward.”
The company listed the affected devices as including early Kindle e-readers such as the Kindle 1st Generation (2007), Kindle DX models, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5, and the first-generation Kindle Paperwhite (2012). It also includes early Kindle Fire tablets released between 2011 and 2012.
While users will still be able to read already-downloaded books and access their Kindle libraries through mobile and desktop apps, Amazon warned that performing a factory reset on the affected devices will make them unusable.
One user, Kay Aaronricks, 46, said she was shocked by the announcement and saddened by the idea of losing full functionality of her 14-year-old device.
“It does show how much of a part that Kindle plays in my life,” she said, adding it had allowed her to “take all of my books with me” when working and travelling.
“I love paper books like anyone does, but the Kindle is more practical,” Kay added.
She also raised concerns about newer discounted models containing advertisements, saying, “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,”
Technology analyst Paolo Pescatore noted that while the move would frustrate users, it was understandable from a technical standpoint.
“The challenge is that these devices were built for a different era and are not equipped to run newer, more data-hungry services and features,” he said, adding that ageing hardware can create performance and security concerns.
However, he also warned that cutting off older devices from services could reduce their usefulness significantly, turning them into “a far more limited offline tool”.
Ugo Vallauri, co-director of the Restart Project, which promotes electronic repair and sustainability, criticised the decision and broader industry trend.
“However, that’s hardly a good reason for soft-bricking millions of still functioning devices.”
He added that while Amazon claims only around 3% of users are affected, this could still represent up to two million devices and potentially generate more than 624 tons of electronic waste.
