Did you find an old Kindle at the bottom of a drawer and are you wondering if it is still good for anything? That is exactly what I wanted to find out. I took out my very first Kindle, which dates from 2012, and I compared it to a recent color e-reader, the Kindle Colorsoft.
Note: I chose the Kindle Colorsoft because it is the most expensive Kindle available in 2026, as this Kindle was in 2012.
My first Kindle, 14 years later
This Kindle is the one that made me discover e-readers and create this website. Since then, I have been following e-reader news, buying them and testing them for almost 15 years. There are now more than 50 reviews on the channel and on the site.
For the comparison, I took two very different models. On one side, my old 2012 Kindle with its 6-inch black and white screen. On the other, a Kindle Colorsoft e-reader released last year, with a 7-inch color screen. Both use an electronic ink screen.
Buy a Kindle e-reader
Kindle on Amazon.com (click here)
The big problem: the Kindle bookstore no longer works
This is the most important point.
On my old Kindle, the Amazon bookstore no longer works. Even if I connect it to Wi-Fi and sign in to my account, I can no longer buy or download books. On a recent model, of course, everything works normally.
This is not really surprising: the device is 14 years old, and Amazon chose to cut some functions on very old models.
The good surprise is that the old e-reader works perfectly with the Calibre software. So I can still transfer books to it, especially all the free and legal books that can be found on the internet. I am also giving you a link to a list of free book sites.
The screen: not as good, but still pleasant for reading
Unsurprisingly, the screen of the recent e-reader is better. The old one is slower, a little grayer, a little less sharp, with less contrast. There are also fewer options to customize the text.
However, what surprised me is that for reading a novel, it remains perfectly fine. Personally, these flaws did not really bother me while reading.
No light and no touchscreen
Here are the two real weak points of my old Kindle.
No light: it is impossible to read in the dark. You need a bedside lamp or a ceiling light. For reading in bed at night, it is clearly less practical.
No touchscreen: to look up a word or type something, you have to use the small keyboard and the buttons. Honestly, in 2026, it is really annoying.
A real good point: the buttons to turn pages
There is still one thing I miss on recent models. My old Kindle has four buttons, two on each side, to turn pages. It is fast and very practical! Amazon should maybe take inspiration from it again. It shows there were very good ideas back then. That is why I also really like the Kobo Libra Colour.
It also turns on very quickly, and page turning remains rather smooth.
Battery life: still decent
I did not read for long hours on the old e-reader, but for a Kindle that is almost 15 years old, the battery holds up rather well. Obviously, a recent e-reader with a new battery will last longer. But if you do not mind recharging it a little more often, it is not a problem.
Color: a real plus?
It depends on what you do with your e-reader. On my old Kindle, you cannot even see the book covers, only the titles. I find that a bit sad.
With color, you see the covers in the library, you can highlight in color and display images. It is prettier and more pleasant. But for reading novels, it is mainly the text that matters. So color does not bring a huge change in that case.
A sturdier e-reader in the past?
I had the impression that the old Kindle was a bit sturdier. The plastics are of very good quality: no deformation and almost no scratches, even though it has been used a lot.
Maybe build quality has changed since then, as with many products. That said, I find that Kindles remain fairly sturdy devices in general. All of mine still work, even the one that took a good hit!
So, should you replace your old Kindle?
Here is my opinion:
If you want to read new releases and buy your books from the Amazon bookstore, you need to replace it. A Kindle that is too old no longer has access to the bookstore.
If you mainly read public domain books, downloaded for free and legally, and you use Calibre, keep your e-reader as long as it works.
You still have to admit that recent improvements really change reading comfort: touchscreen, light, color, better contrast and more speed. Once you get used to a recent e-reader, going back to an old one is rather frustrating.
In general, I therefore advise you to replace your e-reader when it reaches about ten years old, unless you only read public domain books.
And you, do you still use an old e-reader? Tell me in the comments!
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