SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has regained the top global position in both DRAM and NAND flash memory following stronger-than-expected preliminary fourth-quarter results, according to data from industry researcher Counterpoint Research, released on Thursday.
The research firm estimated that Samsung’s memory semiconductor revenue rose 34 percent from the previous quarter to $25.9 billion in the fourth quarter. DRAM accounted for $19.2 billion of the total, while NAND flash contributed $6.7 billion.
Over the same period, SK hynix posted total memory revenue of $22.4 billion, including $17.1 billion from DRAM and $5.3 billion from NAND, Counterpoint said.
The figures put Samsung back in the No. 1 spot in the global DRAM market after a year. Samsung had dominated the segment for about three decades through the fourth quarter of 2024, before losing the top position to SK hynix for the first time in the first quarter of 2025.
Choi Jeong-gu, a research director at Counterpoint, said Samsung has responded effectively to shifts in demand by steering its commodity DRAM output toward server applications, while adopting advanced manufacturing nodes.
These include a 4-nanometer logic process for next-generation high-bandwidth memory, or HBM4, which he said has delivered improvements in speed and thermal performance.
Choi added that Samsung’s efforts to address internal issues, including an earlier focus on short-term results, and to refocus on technological competitiveness are now translating into improved market performance.
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