One of the advantages to devices like Amazon’s Kindle is that because they are primarily used for e-books, they don’t need to be fast or powerful. Therefore, they can be used for years without “degrading” the same way a tablet or laptop would. However, now it seems that even these devices aren’t completely futureproof.
If you own an older Kindle model, you could lose internet access on it by the end of the year in fact. 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 telling customers that because carriers will start phasing out their 3G networks in favor of 4G, these Kindle devices will no longer be able to access the internet. You may have to get another model.
By no longer being able to access the internet, these Kindle devices cannot download new content wirelessly. So they are useless. 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 getting future content will no longer be possible.
Amazon’s email says that they will be giving customers coupon codes that (depending on your model) can get you as much as a $70 discount on a Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Oasis device, and up to $25 in e-book credits. At least it is some consolation.
Source Ubergizmo
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