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Kindle removes a key feature in today’s update: learn who’s impacted

Updated on: 17 August 2022

Anna Zhadan
Contributor

The time has come: users will no longer be able to purchase e-books on the fourth and fifth-generation Kindle models.

Following the initial announcement earlier this year, a popular electronic reading device, Kindle, has been updated. This will now prevent users from making direct e-book purchases from their devices if they’re using older Kindle models released in 2011 and 2012.

Many of these models rely on physical buttons and do not have a touchscreen.

If you’re unsure whether this update will impact you, head to the Settings menu of your device to check your Kindle model number. All newer models are not affected by the update.

However, if you have an older version of the Kindle, the new update will not render your device completely useless. You can still purchase books via the Kindle store on your computer and send them as digital files or manually transfer PDFs or other file formats.

Additionally, if you have an older model, you will not lose access to your current books.

The Kindle withdrawal is, in part, down to security. Earlier, Amazon stated that it will provide only at least four years of security updates on the Kindle, which, according to some, makes devices essentially e-waste.

“A product that cannot be repaired or falls under planned obsolescence i.e. designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, not only becomes e-waste but also forces the consumers to buy new products for want of any repair to reuse it,” a Ministry of Consumer Affairs spokesperson said. “Thus, restricting the repair of products forces consumers to deliberately make a choice to purchase a new model of that product.”