SK hynix beats Samsung as the world's biggest memory chip supplier for the first time ever

SK hynix has officially dethroned Samsung as the biggest memory chip supplier in the world for the first time ever, with SK hynix posting slightly higher memory sales for Q2 2025.

In a new report from Counterpoint picked up by insider @DanNystedt on X, we see that SK hynix memory chip sales reached $15.1 billion for Q2 2025, edging out Samsung and taking more of the ever-important HBM memory chip market share. SK hynix now has 62% of the HBM chip market supply, Samsung's share fell to 17% in Q2 2025, while US-based Micron holds on stronger than Samsung with 21% HBM chip supply.

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SK hynix also outperformed Samsung with memory operating profit, with Counterpoint's analysis showing that the operating profits of the South Korean firms have taken divergent paths since the first half of 2024. SK hynix has formed itself into a key partner of HBM for NVIDIA, and has been recording rising operating profits since, while Samsung's operating profits have been falling as the company trips over itself in getting its HBM into the hands of AI chip makers.

Commenting on the future of Samsung's HBM sales, Counterpoint Research Analyst Jeongku Choi said: "The good news is that Samsung's HBM sales appear to have bottomed out in Q1 2025 and are showing signs of recovery in Q2 2025. However, to regain lost market share, it is critical for Samsung to diversify its HBM3E customer base and pass NVIDIA's stringent quality tests. To supply HBM4 for NVIDIA's next-generation Rubin platform, Samsung must ensure quality in the customer's eye and achieve stable yield levels. Considering the recent announcement that Samsung Foundry has won orders from Tesla, there is growing expectation for an overall improvement in Samsung's future performance".