Amazon Shows Some Love for Older Kindles & Releases Update for the Kindle Touch

When Amazon released the new Kindle Touch and called it the Paperwhite I like many assumed that they would drop support for last year’s model. Boy was I wrong. Amazon has released a new update for the Kindle Touch which gives it some of the software features that it lacked and the Paperwhite had.

There’s nothing Amazon can do to update the screen resolution or give the KT a frontlight, but the the 5.3.2 update does add a number of nice features:

• A new user interface
• Whispersync for Voice
• Enhanced Parental Controls
• Book Covers
• Time-to-Read
• Recommended Content
• Enhanced book samples
• Navigate graphic novels, and comics

Some features notably missing from this list include language support. In particular, the Kindle Paperwhite has enhanced support for Chinese and Japanese. It’s not clear why Amazon left some features out of the update, but on the upside the KT is getting features which will extend the lifetime of the gadget.

It might not be available anymore in most markets but clearly the Kindle Touch has not been forgotten by Amazon.
You can dowbnnload the update from the Amazon website.

source

Posted by Nate Hoffelder on 9 January, 2013.

Categories: Amazon, firmware update, software news

18 Responses

1. I wonder if the Kindle Keyboard will get this upgrade as well. I hope it does.

   byucfgrad93 on Jan 9, 2013 at 10:58 am

2. The K3 would take more work to update because the Kindle Touch is using pretty much the same software as the KPW.

   But I am still half expecting to see another update for the K3. It’s already gotten an update which added support for KF8 and other features so another update is not out of the question.

   byNate Hoffelder on Jan 9, 2013 at 11:24 am

3. K3 is probably the single largest block of the Kindle installed base, no?
   So keeping it current is the fastest way of proliferating (revenue-generating) features such as Immersive Reading and Whispersync for Voice.

   byfjtorres on Jan 9, 2013 at 11:54 am

4. What a stunning contrast to Apple’s ongoing programs of planned obsolescence!

   byElwood Nose on Jan 9, 2013 at 1:14 pm

5. But the K3 did get an update with whispersync for voice; time to read may be the only feature they can put on it.

   byKHActon on Jan 9, 2013 at 1:42 pm

6. That makes no sense at all.

   byMike S on Jan 9, 2013 at 2:14 pm

7. Especially since Apple discontinued the older devices long before they stopped supporting them with updates.

   byNate Hoffelder on Jan 9, 2013 at 2:18 pm

8. [...] via The Digital Reader [...]

   byKindle Touch gets Paperwhite-like reading features with software update — paidContent on Jan 9, 2013 at 3:20 pm

9. I don’t see why they couldn’t also add the changes to the home screen as well. It would be nice to browse using covers instead of the standard list.

   byucfgrad93 on Jan 9, 2013 at 3:48 pm

10. [...] via The Digital Reader [...]

    byKindle Paperwhite kaufen: Lieferzeit schrumpft – Update für Kindle Touch | eBook-Fieber on Jan 9, 2013 at 4:23 pm

11. And yet they already stopped supporting their old flagship device from just a year ago (the old KF).

    Funny how you never mention that, Nate.

    byflyingtoastr on Jan 9, 2013 at 4:56 pm

12. When do you suppose B&N will get around to updating the Nook Tablet? You know, the ereader they are still selling?

    byNate Hoffelder on Jan 9, 2013 at 6:15 pm

13. Well, if Amazon updates their Android reading app, then the older Kindle Fires benefits as well. To update the eink devices you update the entire firmware, no?

    bycookie on Jan 9, 2013 at 6:52 pm

14. [...] Link to the rest at The Digital Reader [...]

    byKindle Touch gets Paperwhite-like reading features with software update | The Passive Voice on Jan 10, 2013 at 11:04 am

15. “What a stunning contrast to Apple’s ongoing programs of planned obsolescence!”

    What nonsense. I was still using my iPhone 3G until Xmas and my son is using it now. I am still using my iMac that I bought before Xmas 2007, with Lion.

    Apple is one of the best companies for longevity.

    byHoward on Jan 10, 2013 at 5:25 pm

16. Except that you cannot get the latest os updates or features because the hardware cannot “handle” it

    byBD on Jan 13, 2013 at 11:08 am

17. I’ve lost any hope for any future updates of my Kindle DX quite some time ago, while it was still on warranty…

    bymarduk on Jan 13, 2013 at 12:36 pm

18. Mac Mini 2005 purchased for my wife. Obsolete in 15 months. Oh, it still works. You just can’t find anything to run on it.

    Original iPad: obsolete in 2 years. Oh, it still works. Just read the fine print before downloading any new app, because you can’t upgrade to iOS6.

    “To Apple: Thanks for making my ‘new iPad’ obsolete” – http://cnet.co/XgwTVk

    “Vintage and obsolete products” – http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1752

    I can (in fact, am) running Windows XP on my Mac in a VM. At the same time XP was released, fall 2001, OX 10.1 ‘Puma’ was released. Do you think Puma will run on my new Intel Mac Mini? (I’ll give you a clue: of course not.)

    byElwood Nose on Feb 16, 2013 at 2:17 pm

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