Target Stores Instructed to Return All iPhone SE Handsets

A memo that was issued by Target’s corporate headquarters to the company’s myriad of retail stores earlier this week, obtained by MacRumors, has revealed that locations all around the country were instructed to return their remaining, unsold supply of iPhone SE handsets to Apple.

The devices, which Target noted should be returned to Apple by no later than March 1st, include a total of six unlocked iPhone SE models, of both the 16 and 64 GB variety, in Gold, Rose Gold, Silver, and Space Gray — as well as two variants locked to Sprint’s network.

While the iPhone SE is certainly ripe enough for a refresh — or at the least a modest spec bump — it’s not uncommon for retail stores to revert their stock of a product back to the original manufacturer. However, the fact that Target has issued an official memo directing stores to do this is perhaps an ominous sign that a refresh is imminent.

Of course, while the potential reasons for this stock unloading are seemingly endless — such as that the units simply weren’t selling that well — it has already been rumored that Apple could be releasing a refreshed, gigabyte-rich update to its 4-inch handset. KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, for example, recently suggested that an iPhone SE refresh could come as early as this month if Apple ends up holding its anticipated special event.

Still, another possible scenario is that the current 16 and 64 GB variants of the device are merely being returned to make way for newer devices boasting double the storage — upping the ante from 16 GB to 32 GB, and 64 GB to 128 GB, according to rumors.

Initially unveiled at Apple’s March event last year, the iPhone SE was perceived as an instant hit by iPhone fanatics who favored its smaller, more pocket-friendly form-factor. As the first 4-inch handset to arise out of Cupertino since the iPhone 5s back in 2013, the iPhone SE was fashioned in the same, aluminum unibody design, and went on to sell millions of units both here in the U.S. and abroad — particularly in Europe.

Factoring in the rumors that have surfaced over the last few months, however, as well as Apple’s traditional refresh cycle, it’s looking increasingly plausible that we could see an iPhone SE refresh touch down this spring.