Amazon has announced it will discontinue support for older Kindle devices, leaving many long-time ebook enthusiasts unable to access new content from the Kindle store. This change will take effect on May 20, 2026, impacting devices released in 2012 or earlier, including the original Kindle Touch and certain Kindle Fire tablets. It is estimated that around 2 million e-readers may be affected by this decision.

While users will still be able to read previously downloaded ebooks, their Kindle accounts and libraries will remain accessible through mobile and desktop applications. To assist active users in transitioning to newer devices, Amazon has offered special discounts. However, the company has warned that performing a factory reset on the affected models would render them unusable.

Numerous disappointed users have expressed their dissatisfaction online, with many comments on The Verge describing Amazon’s actions as a significant contributor to electronic waste. They highlighted that their devices, although still functional, would become obsolete and effectively useless.

The specific Kindle models impacted include:

• Kindle: 1st generation (2007), DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010), Keyboard (2010), 4 (2011), Touch (2011), 5 (2012), and 1st generation Paperwhite (2012).
• Kindle Fire: 1st generation (2011), 2nd generation (2012), HD 7 (2012), and HD 8.9 (2012).

Ugo Vallauri from the Restart Project in Brixton, London, which advocates for electronics repair, spoke to the BBC about the situation. He noted that manufacturers often promote newer devices with enhanced performance when they cease support for older models, but he criticized this as insufficient justification for effectively disabling millions of functional devices. Vallauri estimated that while only about 3% of users might be directly affected, this could equate to around 2 million devices being rendered obsolete, resulting in over 624 tons of electronic waste.

Tech industry analyst Paolo Pescatore commented that the decision is understandable from a security and support standpoint. He explained that these older devices were designed for a different technological landscape and lack the capacity to support modern, resource-intensive services and features. He also pointed out that aging hardware could lead to additional complications.

An Amazon spokesperson stated, “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 from the Kindle store. These models have been supported for at least 14 years, with some even up to 18 years, but technology has progressed significantly during this time, and these devices will no longer receive support going forward.”