Samsung may completely abandon its own memory chips in flagships, relying on third-party manufacturers
Not only does the production of in-house processors have technological difficulties, but memory production is also going through its own difficult times. As we have already mentioned, Samsung has for the first time lost the top spot in the production of RAM to SK Hynix. The fundamental crisis has affected not only orders for third-party manufacturers, but also its own smartphone production.
For its flagship Galaxy S25 line, the company initially used almost exclusively Micron chips, but later their share dropped to 40%, and Samsung began to provide 60%. However, recent reports suggest that Samsung may increase its partner's share to 60% again, meaning that Micron will once again become the main supplier. A recent meeting between Samsung and Micron indicates that their cooperation will only intensify in the S26 line.
What does this mean?
The reason for ordering third-party chips is the same - a low percentage of working copies in its own production. While the company uses less modern production lines for its budget lines, its flagship products require state-of-the-art high-speed modules, which the company has problems mastering. This is all the more surprising given that Samsung is part of numerous alliances and consortia that develop and standardise new memory standards.
Micron was able to strengthen its position in the premium segment. Samsung is likely to refocus its energy on HBM memory for AI servers, which is the fastest growing niche. It is unclear whether the company will be able to regain its lost ground, but it is actively looking for ways to solve the problem.
Source: www.sammobile.com
