Lifespan of the Kindle

S Livingston · 05-28-2011, 07:17 PM

I'm interested to hear how long I can expect my Kindle to keep working for if it's treated well? Has anyone had their Kindle for a long time and it still works as well as it did on day one? Has anyone had their Kindle die on them after only a short time? Have Amazon said anything on how long a Kindle should work for? Thanks.

OtterBooks · 05-28-2011, 07:24 PM

My mom still uses her Kindle 1 which she bought at release. I've seen more than a few others here who still use the original as well. Of the people I know with Kindles of any generation, I've never heard of one dying without some sort of physical trauma. Then again, it hasn't been very long in existence as a product.

wvcherrybomb · 05-28-2011, 08:04 PM

I wouldn't worry to much about it. If your Kindle ever breaks, even years down the road, it's more likely than not that Amazon will replace it for free. They even replace them free when users break them. Amazon rocks!

jimh12345 · 05-28-2011, 09:10 PM

The e-Ink display technology might have an expected lifespan but I'm guessing it's many years.

crich70 · 05-28-2011, 09:13 PM

That is a good question. I imagine it should hold up well for yrs with careful use. Most of the problems I've seen talked about here have to do with cracked screens or units that have been dropped onto a hard surface.

pidgeon92 · 05-28-2011, 09:35 PM

My K2 is still working as perfectly as it did when I received it in Feb '09, and my K3 from Aug '10 is also in fine condition.

AnemicOak · 05-28-2011, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

My K2 is still working as perfectly as it did when I received it in Feb '09, and my K3 from Aug '10 is also in fine condition.

Same, and while it's not a Kindle my Sony 505 from '07 still works perfectly too although my nine year old nephew uses it now.

HarryT · 05-29-2011, 02:01 AM

The limiting factor is the battery; this will gradually lose its ability to hold charge over time. After 3 or 4 years it might have lost 30-50% of it's original capacity.

carld · 05-29-2011, 02:35 AM

My K1 still worked fine when I stored it away. I wouldn't have bothered to upgrade but the pearl screen on the K3 was just too nice to pass up.

kacir · 05-29-2011, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S Livingston

Has anyone had their Kindle for a long time and it still works as well as it did on day one?

I still have my Sony PRS-500 in working condition. Sony PRS-500 came out long before Kindle 1.

HarryT · 05-29-2011, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

I still have my Sony PRS-500 in working condition. Sony PRS-500 came out long before Kindle 1.

But what's the battery life like now? I suspect it's not terribly good! As I said above, it's the finite lifespan of a lithium ion battery that's the limiting factor with all these devices.

S Livingston · 05-29-2011, 06:27 AM

Great to hear that most people are having a good experience with the Kindle's longevity. So what's the lifespan of the battery and is it easily replacable?

chas0039 · 05-29-2011, 06:36 AM

These batteries start to die from the date of manufacture and the number of charge cycles doesn't have much impact; they will get about 3-4 years. Amazon currently says they will replace your battery (although I would guess it is actually a swap for a different Kindle) for about $70. This site has a replacement battery for $30 including a tool to get the back off. Given the vast user base of Kindle, I would assume that there will be batteries around for a while.

CRussel · 05-29-2011, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The limiting factor is the battery; this will gradually lose its ability to hold charge over time. After 3 or 4 years it might have lost 30-50% of it's original capacity.

Batteries are replaceable. Amazon will do it for free during warranty, or at a somewhat inflated cost outside the warranty. Or you can buy a kit from a third party to do it. Certainly by the time you need to replace a battery, preserving your warranty won't be an issue.

DiapDealer · 05-29-2011, 09:36 AM

I'm at two+ years on my K2US with no noticeable signs of degradation (battery or otherwise). I'm sure it will puke eventually, but I'll try to replace the battery before I upgrade... because: A) I spent $359 on it and need to get more use out of it. B) I've used my father's K3 and don't really like the form-factor as well.

05-28-2011, 07:17 PM	#1
S Livingston Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 50416 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Scotland Device: Kindle	Lifespan of the Kindle I'm interested to hear how long I can expect my Kindle to keep working for if it's treated well? Has anyone had their Kindle for a long time and it still works as well as it did on day one? Has anyone had their Kindle die on them after only a short time? Have Amazon said anything on how long a Kindle should work for? Thanks.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
$0.01 in Kindle Store: Interactive Sudoku for Kindle 2 and Kindle DX - Volume 1	Xia	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	2	11-07-2009 10:06 AM
E-ink screen lifespan?	301verbs	News	21	05-22-2009 11:54 AM
Kindle battery lifespan?	gueeds	Amazon Kindle	75	02-27-2009 11:26 AM
Reader Lifespan (Longevity)	bob_ninja	Sony Reader	63	01-02-2007 11:59 PM

05-28-2011, 07:24 PM	#2
OtterBooks Wizard Posts: 1,262 Karma: 2979086 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 4, iPad Mini/Retina	My mom still uses her Kindle 1 which she bought at release. I've seen more than a few others here who still use the original as well. Of the people I know with Kindles of any generation, I've never heard of one dying without some sort of physical trauma. Then again, it hasn't been very long in existence as a product.

05-28-2011, 08:04 PM	#3
wvcherrybomb Sharp Shootin' Grandma Posts: 847 Karma: 1123940 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sunny Florida Device: Kindle 3, Kindle Fire, Literati (has been adopted by my daughter)	I wouldn't worry to much about it. If your Kindle ever breaks, even years down the road, it's more likely than not that Amazon will replace it for free. They even replace them free when users break them. Amazon rocks!

05-28-2011, 09:10 PM	#4
jimh12345 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 2012 Join Date: May 2011 Device: kindle	The e-Ink display technology might have an expected lifespan but I'm guessing it's many years.

05-28-2011, 09:13 PM	#5
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	That is a good question. I imagine it should hold up well for yrs with careful use. Most of the problems I've seen talked about here have to do with cracked screens or units that have been dropped onto a hard surface.

05-28-2011, 09:35 PM	#6
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	My K2 is still working as perfectly as it did when I received it in Feb '09, and my K3 from Aug '10 is also in fine condition.

05-29-2011, 02:01 AM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The limiting factor is the battery; this will gradually lose its ability to hold charge over time. After 3 or 4 years it might have lost 30-50% of it's original capacity.

05-29-2011, 02:35 AM	#9
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	My K1 still worked fine when I stored it away. I wouldn't have bothered to upgrade but the pearl screen on the K3 was just too nice to pass up.

05-29-2011, 06:27 AM	#12
S Livingston Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 50416 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Scotland Device: Kindle	Great to hear that most people are having a good experience with the Kindle's longevity. So what's the lifespan of the battery and is it easily replacable?

05-29-2011, 06:36 AM	#13
chas0039 Sceptic Posts: 573 Karma: 73436 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: The Lake Device: rooted Nooks, retired. JetBook Lite, Kindle 3, 4, Kobo Nia, Libra H2O.	These batteries start to die from the date of manufacture and the number of charge cycles doesn't have much impact; they will get about 3-4 years. Amazon currently says they will replace your battery (although I would guess it is actually a swap for a different Kindle) for about $70. This site has a replacement battery for $30 including a tool to get the back off. Given the vast user base of Kindle, I would assume that there will be batteries around for a while.

05-29-2011, 09:36 AM	#15
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,341 Karma: 203719646 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I'm at two+ years on my K2US with no noticeable signs of degradation (battery or otherwise). I'm sure it will puke eventually, but I'll try to replace the battery before I upgrade... because: A) I spent $359 on it and need to get more use out of it. B) I've used my father's K3 and don't really like the form-factor as well.

Advert

Advert