Amazon’s older Kindles will start losing internet access in December

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Amazon Kindle e-readers with built-in 3G service will start losing internet connectivity on their own in the US in December, according to an email sent to customers on Wednesday. The change is due to the transition of carriers from the older 2G and 3G network technology to the newer 4G and 5G networks. For older Kindles that don’t have Wi-Fi, this change might mean no internet connection at all.

As a good e-reader was first noticed in June, newer Kindle devices that support 4G should be fine, but for older devices that ship with 3G and Wi-Fi support like Kindle Keyboard (3rd generation), Kindle Touch (4th generation), Kindle Paperwhite (4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th generation), Kindle Voyage (7th generation), and Kindle Oasis (8th generation), users will still be stuck with Wi-Fi only. In its email announcement, Amazon confirms that you can still enjoy content you already own and download on these devices, and you won’t be able to download new books from the Kindle Store unless you’re doing so over Wi-Fi. You can see the email from Amazon to customers below:

Amazon email announces the end of Internet connectivity on older Kindles devices.

Things get even more complicated for Kindles older than Amazon, such as the Kindle (1st and 2nd generation), and Kindle DX (2nd generation). Since these devices only rely on a 2G or 3G internet connection, once the networks are shut down, the only way to get new content on your device is through an old-fashioned micro-USB cable. For customers affected by the shutdown, Amazon is offering a modest promotional credit (NEWKINDLE50) through August 15 for $50 for a new Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Oasis, along with a $15 in-store credit for ebooks.

While it can be argued that the company could do more to help affected customers (perhaps by completely replacing old hardware), this issue is largely outside of Amazon’s control. All carriers have committed to different timeframes for when the older 2G and 3G networks will go live, with AT&T setting a February 22, 2022 date, T-Mobile reportedly targeting April 2022, and firing Verizon at December 31, 2022.

With that in mind, Amazon’s December date seems premature, but it’s better to be prepared now, rather than leave it with a less useful e-reader later this year.

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