At the time of the original announcement, concerned Kindle fans had a few months to prepare for this big change. But now the time is running out until the big shutdown, there are only a few weeks left until this change is enforced on August 17th.
If you’re wondering if you’re affected here, the Kindle models are losing this crucial feature…
Kindle (2nd Generation) International, Kindle DX International, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle (4th Generation) and Kindle (5th Generation)
If you have a Kindle affected by this upcoming change, you have a few options. You can either keep using it and just buy eBooks online and then send them to your device from Amazon website. Or you can alternatively upgrade. At the moment, Amazon isn’t running a sale on its Kindle line, but you can get Kindle Unlimited free with new Kindles for three months.
This offers a saving of almost £24 on the service, which gives you access to a library of over a million e-books. So while you don’t get a discount on the device of your choice, you can read a lot for free.
All you have to do is answer a few questions online, then you can send your old Kindle back to Amazon for free and get a coupon later.
If you want to do this go to this page You can also trade in old Echo, Fire tablets and Fire Sticks there. You can also trade in old Ring devices, as well as smartphones and consoles. The oldest Kindle you can trade in is the 3rd generation keyboard model, with 4th and 5th generation devices available to trade in along with next generation devices.
Amazon also has a dedicated website to help find any Kindle users affected by this upcoming change.
The other option, if you fancy a change, is to switch to a different e-reader – with Kobo being the standout candidate if you want a non-Kindle device.
Amazon also offers a trade-in program that allows you to return old devices to get cash for new ones.
There are some major differences between a Kobo and a Kindle, with the Rakuten-made e-reader being able to support a variety of e-book formats.
This means that you are not only tied to one online shop for your e-books, but can browse through a large number of marketplaces.
Also, none of the Kobo eReaders come with ads, so you won’t see any promotions on your sleep screen – instead you’ll get a cover of the latest book you’re reading, which is a nice touch.
If you then want to buy a Kobo Visit the official online store. The cheapest model is the Kobo Nia at £89.99, while the Kobo Clara HD – the Rakuten eReader that resembles a Kindle Paperwhite – is £119.99.
