If you love your Kindle, chances are that you really love your Kindle. You can carry a whole library of books with you (especially handy if you’re traveling), and the ease of finding a book and having it at your fingertips in just a few minutes helps you read more. My Kindle sits beside my bed, mingling with a pile of hardcovers because I love books in all forms. Especially free ones! Every month, I download free books from Amazon Prime First Reads, and thanks to that, I have a pretty good collection of novels I might not have found otherwise.
So when I learned that my trusty sidekick might be headed to that great tech graveyard in the sky, I worried that I might lose everything. I still haven’t read a lot of the books in my ever-growing Kindle library. I wouldn’t lose them … would I?
Well, bookworms, it’s time to find out. Read on to learn what’s going on with Kindles, whether yours is affected, when things will change and what to do about it.
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What’s happening to your beloved Kindle?
Amazon recently announced that it will no longer support Kindles released in 2012 or earlier. That means you won’t be able to download new books or check out e-books from the public library using the Libby or OverDrive apps. You can still read anything you’ve already downloaded, but basically, in another month, your older-model Kindle will become a relic.
Which Kindles are affected?
If your Kindle is on the chopping block, Amazon should have sent you an email. These are the affected models:
- Kindle (1st and 2nd generation)
- Kindle DX and DX Graphite
- Kindle Keyboard (3rd generation)
- Kindle 4
- Kindle Touch
- Kindle 5
- Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation)
- Kindle Fire (1st and 2nd generation)
- Kindle Fire (HD 7 and HD 8.9)
Not sure which one you have? Here’s how to check:
- On your Kindle, go to Settings.
- Select Device Options.
- Select Device Info.
- If you see a serial number instead of the model name, look it up online and see what device it matches.
Even easier: Go to your Amazon account and start looking into the trade-in process (more on that later). It’ll show you which Kindle you have.
What will happen to your e-book collection?
All your books will still live on your old Kindle, so you can still read them there. They also live in your Kindle app, so you can read them on your phone or tablet. And if you choose to buy a new Kindle, when you sign in on your new device, your books will transfer over.
When will these changes go into effect?
May 20 is the last day Amazon will support older Kindles. The trade-in offer lasts until June 20.
Why are they doing this to us?
The company says that “technology has come a long way” since 2012, but didn’t elaborate on why that’s the line of demarcation. Tech experts say that older devices of all kinds are vulnerable to security issues because the technology is too old to support software patches. (That’s a big reason why you’re prompted so often to update your phone apps.)
Should you just buy a new Kindle?
If you’re devoted to reading on a Kindle, then it’s probably worth it. There are a bunch of new models, and you may enjoy new features like vivid color graphics, AI summaries and more.
The least expensive new Kindle is the 7-inch Paperwhite, with 16 gigabytes of storage and a price tag of about $160. On the other end of the spectrum is the 11-inch Kindle Scribe Colorsoft with 32 gigabytes of storage, which comes with a pen for drawing and taking notes and costs around $630. (There are options in between as well.)
Amazon is offering trade-ins on older Kindles, plus a 20% discount if you buy a new one. But that trade-in won’t get you much. I was offered a measly $5 for my 2015 Kindle—the same amount as the older 2012 model I upgraded from—in the form of an Amazon gift card, of course. So the 20% discount is more helpful. With 20% off, the new Paperwhite would cost about $123.
You might save even more if you buy a refurbished model. Amazon sells certified refurbs, which start at under $100 and might give you the features you want without the brand-new price tag.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
The least expensive new Kindle, the Paperwhite comes with 16 gigabytes of storage.
What if I don’t want to buy a new one?
You have until May 20 to download more books, which will buy you some time. You could also load your current Kindle up with books for your kids and pass it down to them. Many places, including Amazon, offer free kids’ book downloads.
You can also read on your phone or tablet using the Kindle app, but the reading experience is different. A Kindle uses special e-ink and has no glare, so it’s easier on the eyes. Plus, the battery lasts longer—sometimes for weeks, versus hours or days for a phone or tablet. But let’s be real: Those devices can be distracting, with all those other apps that might pull you away from your book. That said, an iPad, with its more vivid graphics, is superior for comics, graphic novels or highly visual books.
As for me, I’m lucky that my old Kindle is still good—for now. I’m about to take a trip, which is when I find it most helpful. I used to pack a stack of books for every trip, and my back is very thankful that I’ve adopted an e-reader.
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Sources:
- Wired: “Amazon Pulls Support for Perfectly Fine Older Kindles”
- Tech Crunch: “Amazon to end support for older Kindle devices”
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