Why this 10-year user has had enough

A few days ago, Amazon emailed Kindle users to say that some older models are about to lose support. At first glance, it reads like routine housekeeping; devices age out all the time.

But these e-readers aren’t breaking or struggling — they still do exactly what they’ve always done: download, store, and display books. There’s no obvious reason these devices should be any less useful tomorrow than they are today.

Amazon has chipped away at the Kindle experience before, but this is the first time I’ve seriously questioned whether the tradeoffs are worth it.

Starting May 20, affected Kindles will lose direct access to the Kindle Store. Users will still be able to read whatever is already on their devices, but won’t be able to add anything new (at least not with official channels). There are workarounds, sure, but the sunsetted models will no longer have access to the Kindle experience you originally paid for.

Yes, the relevant Kindles are old (such as the 2012 Paperwhite), but people don’t hang onto old Kindles out of habit. They keep using them because they still work. I can pick one up, load a few books, come back weeks later, and everything is right where I left it. That’s the whole appeal, and it’s why so many of these devices are still in rotation years later.

Upgrading also isn’t a clean swap. Some older models still have things people prefer, like physical page-turn buttons or a simpler interface. Newer Kindles aren’t always a direct replacement, and in some cases, you’re giving up features to move forward. It turns upgrading into a trade-off.

My first Kindle was a gift from my now-husband more than a decade ago, back when we were still dating. I’ve kept it for the nostalgia, but even more so because it still works! Now I’m left deciding what to do with perfectly good hardware.

A quick scroll through Reddit makes it clear I’m not alone, and Amazon’s announcement isn’t landing well. Plenty of people are still using decade-old Kindles without any issues, and many prefer those older models. There’s not much interest in replacing something that still works just because Amazon says it’s time.

Instead, like me, users with affected devices are looking for solutions. Threads are filling up with sideloading tips, reminders not to reset devices, and even talk of jailbreaking. The conversation isn’t about what Kindle to buy next; it’s about keeping these devices going or how it might be time to jump ship entirely.

Kindle has never been an open ecosystem, and that’s always been part of the deal. For a long time, that trade-off felt reasonable because it didn’t get in the way. The Kindle experience was simple, and there weren’t many alternatives.

Lately, though, that control is a harder pill to swallow. Changes to file handling and tighter restrictions have already frustrated users. Meanwhile, the rest of the e-ink space keeps getting more interesting.

Kobo continues to tout reader-focused features, including better library integration and an official page-turner. Boox has turned e-ink into a more flexible, open Android experience. Even smaller brands are experimenting with color displays and fewer restrictions. No option is perfect, but they’re improving quickly, and Amazon’s approach feels more suffocating than it used to.

In other words, Kindle hasn’t felt especially user-friendly for a while. Amazon phasing out devices people still use every day fits neatly into a broader pattern of not prioritizing users. While Kindle used to be my go-to recommendation (familiar, reliable, and tied to the biggest bookstore), it now feels less consumer-friendly. Amazon’s hardware may last for years, but the experience can change at any time. For the first time, that’s enough to make me hesitate.