We don’t know when Amazon is going to release their next crop of new Kindles, but when they do there’s a good chance they’ll have user-replaceable batteries.
There’s a new law that goes into effect in the European Union in February 2027 that requires all smartphones and tablets sold there to have batteries that are easily replaceable without having to use any special tools.
It looks like Amazon is already preparing for this based on messages that are in the code for the software that runs on Kindles.
Over at MobileRead, Jhowell found the following messages embedded in the recent 5.19.4 software update:
This battery cannot be recognized and may not perform as expected. Charging has been limited to protect your device.
To return your device to its original performance specifications, we recommend installing a battery that complies with Amazon specifications.
Go to Settings > Device Options > Battery for battery troubleshooting guidance and support.
Scan the QR code below to purchase a battery replacement kit and view instructions for replacement.
Based on that, it’s pretty clear Amazon is planning on having replaceable batteries on next gen Kindles. I’m sure they’ll sell the kits at a good markup, and they’ll be happy to profit off of it.
Of course if Amazon wanted to be total jerks about it, they could just comply with the law in countries that require it by releasing different Kindles in different regions, but that would create more costs and other problems down the road.
Amazon could also put off the requirement by releasing new Kindles before February 2027, but if battery replacement notes are already appearing in Kindle software then it’s a good sign they’re probably not going to do it that way.
Kindle batteries tend to last for a long time since you don’t have to charge them very often. But it would be nice to have the option to easily replace the battery when it wears out. It would also be nice to be able to buy an original OEM battery instead of some mystery battery off of eBay or wherever.
They’ve pulled the update, fyi.
They changed the labels back but if you click the link it still says it’s downloading 5.19.4 for the models it was released for.
On another note, did you see this update about Adobe Digital Editions?https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/eol-faq-adobe-digital-editions.html
Haven’t noticed anything different in the past year using ADE for library books. 🤞
Yeah, eBooks.com is sending out emails about it saying people will have to sign in with a new ByteBooks ID soon, but it sounds like everything will continue to work the same otherwise.
I’m not sure if WiPro will be a good steward of Adobe’s old ebook business. Apart from the license to print money part (exchanging ACSM files for books) they also have to provide RMSDK software updates to their OEMs. Have they done any of that yet?
I suspect this is (sadly) an opportunity for the LCP DRM folks, who use legal threats to delete open source code on github that removes their DRM.
Of course, this also applies to most all e-ink devices since they all have relatively low sales volume & it wouldn’t make sense for *any* manufacturer to offer different versions based upon geography.
In fact, that law probably explains KOBO’s decision, last year, to make their devices user-fixable.
More broadly, kind of makes you wonder why the U.S. doesn’t care as much about their citizens as the EU does, doesn’t it? It’s almost like Trump wasn’t real serious about his populist promises: Guess that golden ballroom has him pre-occupied. That and his billionaire-buddies, crypto-schemes, slush funds, Trump merch and whatnot. Fella can only do so much at 80, doncha know.
The bigger buried lede of this, though, is that you should think twice about buying that shiny new e-reader until next year, when this goes into effect. In fact, I’m guessing that it’ll also affect most phones, as well.
All phones that are sold in EU, which is vast majority. iPhones will have replaceable battery for sure, Samsung and other major players too. Same with laptops, but even tiny earbuds like AirPods will have to comply. I honestly can’t wait. Now I just hope for another step and that would be to ban glueing of components in laptops. We should be able to replace RAM, SSD etc like we used to.
There are exceptions for earbuds and some “waterproof” devices.
According to unreliable sources, Amazon is likely to launch two new devices in July, one with a 6-inch screen and one with a 7-inch screen, with borders similar to the current iPhone’s straight-edge rounded corners design. The reason is that a Chinese factory friend of mine accidentally leaked it. My guess is that July happens to be Prime Day, and I believe Amazon will leak the new devices in June.
This article explains what will actually happen in the EU starting in 2027. Among other things, if the battery is guaranteed for at least 1,000 charge cycles, it may not be replaceable. And there is a requirement to guarantee operation with compatible batteries. We’re talking about smartphones, but the situation is similar for e-readers. The article is in Italian, but Google translates it very well into English. https://www.ilsoftware.it/batterie-sostituibili-in-ue-dal-2027-cosa-cambia/