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Amazon Sets May 20 Cutoff for Kindle Store on 2012‑and‑Older Devices

Critics call the move planned obsolescence that could send working devices to landfill.

Overview

  • Starting May 20, 2026, Kindles and Fire tablets released in 2012 or earlier will no longer buy, borrow, or download new books from the Kindle Store.
  • Amazon named 12 models on the list and said roughly 3% of active users are affected, with existing downloads still readable and full libraries available via the Kindle app and web.
  • Trade‑in offers include 20% off selected new Kindles plus e‑book credits for purchases made through June 20, 2026.
  • The company warned that factory resets or deregistration after the cutoff can block re‑registration, which can leave an older Kindle unusable.
  • The Restart Project and frustrated owners say this is planned obsolescence, estimating about two million devices could be stranded and more than 624 tonnes of e‑waste created.