In the second quarter of this year, Samsung Electronics took 17% of the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market, ceding the No. 2 spot to Micron.
According to market research firm Counterpoint Research on the 24th, second-quarter HBM market share by shipments was SK hynix 62%, Micron 21%, and Samsung Electronics 17%. The combined share of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix was estimated at 79%.
Counterpoint projected that Korea's market dominance will become even firmer when the launch of HBM4 (sixth-generation HBM) begins at the end of this year. It added, "Samsung Electronics recorded a lower-than-expected market share in the second quarter, but based on recent certification of HBM3E products for key customers and exports of HBM4 next year, its share is expected to expand and exceed 30% in 2026."
China recently unveiled domestically developed HBM, but its technical performance is still seen as lacking. Choi Jeong-gu, a principal analyst at Counterpoint Research, said, "China is pushing HBM3 development centered on ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), but it has yet to resolve technical issues such as operating speed and heat generation, so shipments, initially expected for this year, appear likely only in the second half of next year."