SEOUL, February 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has moved a step ahead in the race to commercialize next-generation high-bandwidth memory, shipping early samples of its HBM4 chips and preparing for mass supply, according to industry sources.
In the sixth-generation memory standard expected to power future artificial intelligence accelerators from Nvidia and Google, Samsung appears to have gained an early edge over local rival SK hynix, which currently dominates the HBM market.
A source familiar with the matter said Samsung completed sample shipments of HBM4 products to customers late last year and is now entering what amounts to the early commercialization phase.
“Samples were already supplied by late December, and what comes next is essentially the process of shipping mass-produced products,” the source said. “Preparations for shipments are in the final stages.”
The source added that delivery schedules remain closely tied to customers’ product road maps.
“Even with detailed planning, schedules can shift depending on customers,” the person said. “But given the current situation, it would not be far off to view shipments as starting after the Lunar New Year holiday.”
If Samsung begins commercial supply ahead of competitors, it would become the first memory maker to move HBM4 beyond the sample stage and into early customer shipments, industry officials said.
Kim Deok Kee, a professor of electronic engineering at Sejong University, said Samsung would indeed be the first in the industry if it begins mass production ahead of its rivals. “There are only three major players in this market. Micron, Samsung Electronics, and SK hynix,” Kim said. “If Samsung moves first, it would be the first in the industry.”
Kim said the early start carries symbolic weight for Samsung, which has lagged behind SK hynix in the HBM market.
“Samsung has been playing catch-up in HBM, and taking the lead in HBM4 mass production could be seen as a chance to regain momentum,” he said. “It suggests the company has resolved key technical hurdles such as heat management.”
SK Hynix Downplays Timing Gap
SK hynix, however, has played down the significance of Samsung’s early move, saying it is already prepared for mass production and that supply timing ultimately depends on customers.
“We announced last September that we had built a mass-production system after completing customer samples,” a company official said. “As for final supply, we and our competitors are at similar stages. It largely depends on customer timelines.”
The company said it has finished sample deliveries and stands ready to move into full-scale supply once demand materializes, but declined to give a precise timetable.
The contrasting messages reflect a shift in competition from technology development to commercialization speed, as chipmakers seek to align deliveries with Nvidia’s next-generation “Rubin” AI platform.
Speed vs. Relationships
Samsung is widely seen as leveraging its vertically integrated structure — spanning DRAM manufacturing, logic-die production and advanced packaging — to accelerate commercialization.
HBM4 marks a major leap from the current HBM3E generation, doubling the input-output interface to 2,048 bits and sharply boosting bandwidth per stack. The upgrade is designed to ease the so-called “memory wall” that increasingly constrains AI system performance.
SK hynix, meanwhile, continues to benefit from its long-standing partnership with Nvidia, built during the rapid expansion of HBM3 and HBM3E for AI workloads.
Market Share Battle Intensifies
SK hynix overtook Samsung as the world’s top memory supplier last year amid explosive demand for AI chips, driven largely by Nvidia’s platforms.
In 2025, SK hynix generated 47.2 trillion won in chip operating profit on sales of 97.15 trillion won, compared with Samsung’s 24.9 trillion won.
The three dominant memory makers — Samsung, SK hynix and Micron — which control most of the global memory supply, have sent memory prices across the board soaring as they increasingly shift capacity toward premium HBM products.
Counterpoint Research estimates SK hynix will hold about 54 percent of the global HBM4 market this year, compared with 28 percent for Samsung and 18 percent for Micron. The firm previously put SK hynix’s HBM3 share at 62 percent in mid-2025.
Investment banks also expect SK hynix to maintain its lead. Goldman Sachs forecasts the company will dominate HBM3 through at least 2026, while UBS estimates it could capture around 70 percent of HBM4 demand tied to next-generation AI platforms.
Despite Samsung’s early push, SK hynix remains confident.
“Our commercialization capabilities and product quality, which have earned customer trust, cannot be overtaken in a short period,” Song Hyun-jong, president of SK hynix’s corporate center, said during a recent earnings call. “As with HBM and HBM3, we aim to secure overwhelming leadership in HBM4.”
Samsung Electronics shares closed at 166,400 won ($123), up 4.92 percent, while SK hynix ended at 887,000 won ($657), up 5.72 percent.
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