{"id":522985,"date":"2026-04-10T08:23:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/522985\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T08:23:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:23:06","slug":"what-to-do-if-youre-affected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/522985\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do if you\u2019re affected"},"content":{"rendered":"

It seems like a lot of devices, but Amazon told Engadget<\/a> that the move will affect around three per cent of current users. In theory, if you\u2019re using a device that\u2019s affected, then Amazon should already have notified you via email. If in doubt, however, the company has a support page<\/a> with pictures and specifications of every Kindle ever released. If you\u2019re still unsure, entering the model number into Google should reveal the exact version you\u2019re using. This can typically be found on the back of devices.<\/p>\n

For Kindle Fire tablets, the process is simpler. Open the Settings menu and select \u201cDevice Options\u201d. You\u2019ll find the model you\u2019re using either under \u201cDevice Model\u201d or \u201cAbout Fire Tablet\u201d.<\/p>\n

Why is this happening?<\/p>\n

Nobody expects electronic devices to be supported forever, but it\u2019s disappointing that the Kindle\u2019s most enthusiastic early adopters are being cut off. Given the basic functionality of e-book reader technology, there doesn\u2019t appear to be a technical reason behind the decision, making it appear like an anti-consumer move to push older customers towards the purchase of newer devices where existing Kindles would become an e-waste casualty.<\/p>\n

When asked why these devices were losing support now, we received a response defending the (admittedly impressive) longevity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese models have been supported for at least 14 years \u2013 some as long as 18 years \u2013 but technology has come a long way in that time, and these devices will no longer be supported moving forward,\u201d an Amazon spokesperson said. \u201cWe are notifying those still actively using them and offering promotions to help with the transition to newer devices.\u201d<\/p>\n

The promotions mentioned appear to be 20 per cent off \u201cselect new Kindle devices\u201d alongside a \u00a315 eBook credit. While the latter is welcome, the highlighted discount is somewhat disappointing for a number of reasons. Firstly, according to the promotion\u2019s terms and conditions<\/a>, the \u201cselect\u201d caveat excludes the most expensive model, the Kindle Scribe. It doesn\u2019t apply to Fire devices for those tablet owners looking to replace like-for-like, either.<\/p>\n

More importantly, the prices aren\u2019t all that impressive considering happy owners of older Kindles weren\u2019t budgeting for this purchase. Amazon frequently discounts its own-brand devices<\/a> like Echo smart speakers<\/a> and Fire tablets, and 20 per cent isn\u2019t that unusual. Last year\u2019s Black Friday sale saw discounts of over 30 per cent on the basic Kindle and Kindle Colorsoft, and the price-tracking site CamelCamelCamel<\/a> shows that the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has been as low as \u00a3183 in the past \u2013 a 32 per cent discount on its current price of \u00a3269.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s added time pressure here, too. Amazon says that the discount and credit offer is only valid until June 20, one month after support for the older Kindles ends.<\/p>\n

Additionally, owners of the earliest UK Kindle will see that prices have gone up over the past decade. The \u00a3109 they paid in 2010 is some way off the \u00a3159.99 Kindle Paperwhite, even with a 20 per cent discount, let alone the \u00a3219.99 Kindle Colorsoft. That said, at \u00a394.99, the basic Kindle 12th Generation remains a bargain for no-frills readers, with a 20 per cent discount taking it down to \u00a375.99.<\/p>\n

Possible upgrades<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re affected by this news, the silver lining is that while e-book technology moves relatively slowly, things have still advanced significantly in the past 14 years. Resolutions are higher; most are backlit for bedtime reading; there\u2019s support for audiobooks; and storage has increased. There are also optional extras like colour screens, blue-light filters to prevent eye strain and waterproofing.<\/p>\n

As outlined in our guide to the best Kindles<\/a>, our pick for most people is the 12th Generation Kindle Paperwhite<\/a>, which costs \u00a3159.99 with lockscreen ads<\/a> or \u00a3169.99 without<\/a>. The seven inch screen with warm lighting makes for a comfortable reading experience, and it\u2019s waterproof for bathtime or poolside reading.<\/p>\n

At \u00a394.99<\/a> (or \u00a3104.99 without ads<\/a>), the basic 11th Generation Kindle<\/a> is a great budget pick, however. It\u2019s slightly smaller at six inches, and like the Paperwhite, can hold around 8,000 e-books with support for audiobooks through Audible. It lacks the warm light and waterproofing, however, and its battery life is around half that of the Paperwhite \u2014 albeit still a generous six weeks of normal use.<\/p>\n

The two remaining Kindles occupy specific niches. The Kindle Colorsoft<\/a> has a colour screen, making it well suited to those who enjoy graphic novels. The Kindle Scribe, meanwhile, has a bundled stylus for note taking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It seems like a lot of devices, but Amazon told Engadget that the move will affect around three…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":522986,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[2151,59,47620,10800,181752,181755,166689,181754,169376,181753,86,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-522985","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-amazon","9":"tag-gb","10":"tag-kindle","11":"tag-laptops","12":"tag-laptops-amp-tablets","13":"tag-other-article","14":"tag-recommended","15":"tag-recommended-tech","16":"tag-special-exclusion","17":"tag-tablet-computers","18":"tag-technology","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom","21":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=522985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/522986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=522985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=522985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=522985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}