Four Years Isn't Long Enough
The Reader’s Edge | Charlie Samways | August 30, 2026 |
It’s crazy to me that a four-year-old device can’t download the latest software update.
That device is the Kindle Paperwhite 2022, and it isn’t able to download Amazon’s Kindle update version 5.19.6.
I’ve been getting hands-on with the latest changes, and I even had to buy a new device to test these for myself for my YouTube channel.
On the face of it, I still can’t see any changes that require processing that would be too much to ask of my old device.
Tech companies tend to use reasons such as performance issues with updates that older devices simply won’t be able to handle.
But in the case of e-readers, it feels like this argument runs fairly thin.
Technology more widely has this issue at the heart of it.
Growing up, game consoles were always the big one. You typically had somewhere between five and seven years before a new console arrived, and old consoles were gradually transitioned out.
Smartphones are typically replaced by a new model every year, but Apple tends to support each one for five to seven years.
In the UK, protections are being added to make sure companies don’t begin to stop support too soon. In 2024, in line with new regulations, Apple publicly committed to five years of support, as a minimum, for the iPhone 15.
You could argue a phone's use case evolves constantly - cameras, apps, security threats - in a way a single-purpose e-reader's never will, which makes Amazon's four years even harder to justify than it would be for a phone
At four years, Amazon is falling short of this level of commitment. It feels like a risk to the reputation of the Kindle brand, when so many people I know who have the device see it as something to keep for many years.
It feels like a situation worth watching closely, in case Kindle's support windows continue to shrink
Planned Obsolescence
At a certain point, every tech company has to think about device obsolescence.
There are three broad mechanisms typically identified: contrived durability, where parts or aspects of the device are designed to fail; software obsolescence, where updates stop, leaving the device weakened, either by a lack of support or falling behind newer tech; and perceived obsolescence, where a functioning product is made to feel outdated through marketing and design changes of new products.
The recent Kindle situation sits squarely within the software obsolescence category.
Nothing has failed on the device, and the latest Kindle hasn’t left me feeling behind. Instead, a capable device has stopped receiving the latest updates available.
Companies may argue there are legitimate cost reasons for eventually cutting off support. Testing a wider span of devices and maintaining and testing software can have an impact.
In my opinion though, e-readers are one of the few devices on the market where planned obsolescence screams of a company’s desire to push you onto their latest devices.
When the biggest change to the e-reader device has been adding bookmarks to Page Flip, it’s fair to ask why an older device can’t handle this.
It leaves me feeling powerless and hoping for greater protection, as a customer. I now have a device which still works exactly as it’s intended to, and yet it feels like it is slowly being nudged out of the picture.
This Week’s Question
Where do you think the fair cut-off point is for a device to stop getting updates, and did your own device's update life meet or fall short of your expectations?
Reply to me at hello@charliesamways.com. I read every one.
From The Channel This Week
My latest video is all about the changes worth knowing from the latest Kindle update:
5 Changes Worth Knowing About Kindle’s Latest Update (5.19.6)
And I’ve just updated my Free Kindle Guide with a bonus section on speed reading, which is available for all members to download here
Wishing you all the best this week, and thinking about timeframes for device updates.
Catch up next week,
Charlie Samways