Older Amazon Kindles Will Lose Internet Connectivity This Year

A recent report from the Verge states that Amazon Kindle e-readers with built-in 3G will begin to lose the ability to connect to the internet on their own in December.

The Verge reports that Amazon Kindle e-readers with built-in 3G will begin to lose the ability to connect to the internet on their own in the U.S. in December, according to an email sent to customers on Wednesday. The change is due to mobile carriers’ transition from older 2G and 3G networking technology to newer 4G and 5G networks. For older Kindles without WiFi, this means they will be unable to connect to the internet at all.

Newer Kindle devices with 4G support should be fine, and older devices that shipped with support for 3G and WiFi like the 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), can still use WiFi to download and purchase books in the Kindle store.

Amazon explained in an email to customers that they won’t be able to download new books from the Kindle Store unless they’re doing it over WiFi.

Amazon told The Verge that it has few different options for active customers with impacted devices. Any device is eligible for trade-in on Amazon’s site but the company is also extending the following credits and offers:

For customers with Kindle (1^st Generation), Amazon is offering a free Kindle Oasis (10^th Generation) device and cover.

Customers with Kindle (1st and 2nd Generation), Kindle DX (2nd Generation), and Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation) can receive $70 off a new Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Oasis, plus $25 in ebook credits.

Customers with Kindle Touch (4th Generation), Kindle Paperwhite (5th Generation, 6th Generation, and 7th Generation), Kindle Voyage (7th Generation), and Kindle Oasis (8th Generation) can receive $50 off a new Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Oasis, plus $15 in ebook credits.

Mobile data carriers have all committed to different time frames for when older 2G and 3G networks will shut down, with AT&T setting the date for February 22nd, 2022, T-Mobile aiming for April 2022, and Verizon targeting December 31st, 2022.