Skip to main content

Your old Kindle e-reader will lose internet connectivity later this year

Amazon has warned a big change is coming to some of its oldest cellular-enabled Kindle e-readers. From December 2021, some Kindles will no longer be able to use the cellular capabilities, potentially robbing them of connectivity entirely. It’s not Amazon’s fault though, but is due to carriers switching over solely to newer 4G and 5G networks, leaving behind the 2G and 3G connections used by the old Kindle e-readers.

It’s a move that’s been long telegraphed, but you may not have heard much about it until now, as most smartphones currently sold today use 4G or 5G, and upgrade offers are always being made for older devices. Amazon calls out the following Kindle devices affected by the change:

Related Videos
  • Kindle (1st and 2nd Generation)
  • Kindle DX (2nd Generation)
  • Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation)
  • Kindle Touch (4th Generation)
  • Kindle Paperwhite (5th Generation)/(6th Generation)/(7th Generation)
  • Kindle Voyage (7th Generation)
  • Kindle Oasis (8th Generation)

Some devices will be hit a lot harder than others. While the first and second-generation Kindles as well as the second-generation Kindle DX will lose internet access completely due to the lack of Wi-Fi, every other device on the list has Wi-Fi to fall back on. This means that while you won’t be able to use those on the go with a SIM card anymore, you will still be able to download content on them at home.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t an issue simply for Kindles, it has wider implications. If you’re using a 3G-only phone in 2021, the time to upgrade is now. Carriers globally are slowly switching off their older 2G and 3G networks in a bid to free up the spectrum for the newer standards. While Amazon is ending support in 2021, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon will all wind down their pre-LTE networks in 2022.

If your Kindle is about to become useless, Amazon does have some sympathy. Amazon supports Wi-Fi on all of its most recent e-readers, and the cellular-capable ones have 4G onboard. Amazon is offering $50 off a new Kindle Paperwhite or Oasis, with $15 in ebook credits to help ease the pain. If you don’t take up Amazon’s offer in time, you will find some cheap Kindle deals here, or you could even consider another e-book reader if you’re feeling the need for change.

Editors' Recommendations

Samsung may be getting ready to launch a new AirTag rival this year
Galaxy SmartTag

Samsung is not the first brand that comes to mind when you are out shopping for an object tracker. That kind of consumer trust and appeal is currently commanded by Tile, which kickstarted the trend, and Apple's popular AirTag. However, Samsung wants to wiggle its way into that space with yet another object tracker that's destined to arrive soon.

Citing unnamed sources, SamMobile reports that Samsung is planning a refresh of its Galaxy Smart Tag portfolio. And if all things go according to plan, the second-gen object tracker from Samsung will hit the shelves in the third quarter of 2023 — possibly around the same time frame as the launch of Samsung’s upcoming foldable phones.

Read more
Your Pixel 7 is about to get a whole lot less buggy — here’s why
Two Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphones.

Google is rolling out a new Android 13 update that fixes 46 bugs and performance issues for the Pixel 7. The fixes range from squashing smaller bugs to larger, systemwide updates that do things like optimize battery life and overall performance, making this one of the most substantial Pixel 7 updates to date. While the update, Android 13 QPR2, provides a lot of fixes for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro specifically, it also cleans up performance for the entire Pixel 6 line as well.

There are plenty of small fixes in the update. However, the bigger ones seem like they're going to noticeably improve the user experience for all Pixel 7 owners on just about every front.

Read more
I used two of the year’s oddest tech gadgets so you don’t have to
The open Nokia 5710 XpressAudio and Huawei Watch Buds

If you’re intent on not keeping your true wireless earbuds in a normal charging case, and want to hide them inside a different gadget, now is your time. The Huawei Watch Buds is a smartwatch with a pair of true wireless headphones inside, and the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio is a 4G phone that stores a pair of earbuds in the back.

It’s a bizarre niche that I’m surprised contains two products. I’ve used them, so it's my duty to report that both are a bit silly — and I don’t want to use any more of them, thank you very much. However, for the few people out there thinking they want to buy one, this is what they're like. For everyone else, you get to marvel at two of the oddest tech products seen in a while.
Phone or smartwatch?

Read more