For loyal Kindle owners who have spent years reading, travelling, and even sleeping beside the devices, the company’s decision to end support for older e-readers has sparked disappointment and anger, with many arguing the move unfairly targets dependable products that remain fully functional.
Beginning May 20, Amazon will discontinue support for Kindle devices released in 2012 and earlier. That means affected devices will no longer receive software updates or be able to download new books directly from Amazon’s servers. While the company says the transition is part of the natural evolution of technology, many users argue the decision unfairly sidelines devices that still work reliably.
For 39-year-old Claudia Buonocore from the Pittsburgh area, the announcement felt deeply personal. Her 15-year-old Kindle Touch has become part of her nightly routine and emotional comfort.
“I’ve never felt the desire to have another device,” Buonocore said. “It’s a part of me, a lifesaver, I fall asleep with it almost every night.”
Now, she fears being forced to abandon a device she still loves.
“It’s just a complete betrayal of customers,” she added.
Amazon has attempted to soften the transition by offering users a 20% discount on newer Kindle models, alongside $20 worth of e-book credits. Current Kindle devices range in price from about $110 to $680, depending on the model and features.
Still, many longtime users say the newer devices lack the simplicity and practicality that made the earlier Kindles special.
Brian Oelberg, a 64-year-old Chicago resident, said he immediately began downloading books onto his 2010 Kindle Keyboard after hearing the news. He estimates he has already stored roughly 250 titles on the device in preparation for the shutdown.
He even plans to disable the Kindle’s WiFi connection permanently to avoid any automatic software changes.
“There’s no reason for Amazon to be doing this,” Oelberg said.
He explained that one of the biggest drawbacks of newer Kindle models is the disappearance of physical page-turn buttons — a feature many longtime users still value.
“The buttons allow me to read outdoors in cold weather without removing gloves,” he said after testing newer devices at a Best Buy store.
Among older Kindle enthusiasts, durability remains a recurring point of pride. Many argue that the earlier devices offered exceptional battery life and fewer distractions because they lacked heavily backlit displays and touchscreen-heavy interfaces.
Some users specifically criticized newer models like the Kindle Paperwhite, saying the illuminated screens drain battery life faster than older e-ink readers.
Amazon, however, says it has supported the aging devices for more than 14 years and cannot continue maintaining outdated systems indefinitely.
“Technology has come a long way in that time,” an Amazon spokesperson said.
Industry analysts note that tech companies routinely retire older products due to maintenance costs, software limitations, and cybersecurity concerns. However, critics say the practice increasingly contributes to electronic waste and pressures consumers into unnecessary upgrades.
Amazon revolutionized digital reading when it introduced the first Kindle in 2007, helping e-readers become mainstream consumer devices. Today, the company reportedly controls about 72% of the global e-reader market, according to Business Research Insights.
Online communities have already begun discussing ways to keep the older devices functional for years to come. Some users are exploring “jailbreaking,” which removes software restrictions and allows unofficial programs to run on the devices. Others are relying on “sideloading,” a process where books are manually transferred from a computer to the Kindle using a USB cable.
For hobbyist reseller Cathy Ryan of Vermont, the shutdown may also affect a small but passionate secondhand market for older Kindles. Ryan repairs and resells vintage devices on eBay and personally owns five Kindles, including a second-generation model purchased in 2009.
“I suppose nothing lasts forever, but I am just really annoyed,” the 59-year-old said.
Meanwhile, 69-year-old Cathy DeMail from The Villages, Florida, believes the company’s decision is designed to push customers toward newer purchases.
“It’s a shame I am getting railroaded into this,” she said while explaining that she has also been rushing to load books onto her older Kindle before support ends.
Although she expects she will eventually purchase a newer touchscreen model, the experience has left her frustrated.
“I hate it, it’s the principle of the thing that bothers me.”