Amazon will sever store access for Kindle e-readers and Fire tablets released before 2013 next month, cutting off a generation of hardware that includes the original 2007 model.
Starting May 20, Kindle devices from 2012 and earlier lose the ability to purchase, borrow, or download new content through the Kindle Store. The affected lineup spans from the first-generation Kindle with its physical keyboard and scroll wheel through models like the Kindle Keyboard (2009), Touch (2011), and first Paperwhite (2012).
Users who factory reset or deregister these older devices after the deadline cannot re-register them at all. Amazon confirmed this limitation in emails sent to customers this week, stating the hardware becomes permanently unusable.
Existing ebook libraries remain accessible on the aging hardware, and accounts stay functional through newer Kindles plus mobile apps and web interfaces. For pre-2013 Fire tablets, only book-related services face disruption while other apps continue working.
Amazon estimates roughly 3 percent of users still operate these legacy devices, some of which have received software updates for up to 18 years since their original releases.
To ease transitions, Amazon provides a 20 percent discount on select new Kindles plus a $20 ebook credit valid through June 20. The company notes modern displays offer better lighting and accessibility features missing from early e-ink screens.
Customers discovered the policy change through emails that began circulating earlier this week after an Australian user shared notification details online.
