One of the advantages to devices like Amazon’s Kindle is that because they are primarily used for e-books, they don’t necessarily need to be fast or powerful, and as such, they can be used for years on end without “degrading” the same way a tablet would. However, it seems that even then, these devices aren’t futureproof.
In fact, if you own an older Kindle model, there is a chance you could lose internet access on the device by the end of the year. This is according to emails that Amazon has started to send to Kindle owners who own the company’s older 3G models. The emails are informing these customers that because carriers will start phasing out their 3G networks in favor of 4G, it means that these Kindle devices will no longer be able to access the internet.
The big deal here is that by no longer being able to access the internet, these Kindle devices cannot download new content wirelessly. Amazon says that your purchased content will stay where it is, and if you’ve already downloaded it you can keep reading it on your device, but future content will no longer be possible.
To make it up to customers, Amazon’s email states that they will be giving customers coupon codes that (depending on your model) can net you as much as a $70 discount on a Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Oasis device, and up to $25 in e-book credits. For more information about this and how to check if your Kindle is affected, head on over to Amazon’s support page for the details.
Filed in . Read more about Amazon and Kindle. Source: theverge