Samsung Electronics reported a 56% decrease in operating profit for Q2 2025 compared to the same period, marking the first decline in over a year.
The main reasons are one-time inventory costs and delays in delivering advanced memory chips, heavily impacting the semiconductor sector, which is Samsung's profit pillar.
MAIN CONTENT
Operating profit in Q2 2025 decreased by 56%, lower than market expectations.
Samsung is falling behind in the AI chip race, lagging behind SK Hynix in high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips.
The company aims for a strong recovery in the second half of the year with mass production of HBM4.
Why did Samsung's profit sharply decline in Q2 2025?
According to the official financial report, Samsung achieved an operating profit of 4.6 trillion won (about 3.3 billion USD) in Q2, a 56% decrease compared to the same period in 2024, lower than the 41% decline forecast by Bloomberg analysts. Quarterly revenue reached 74 trillion won.
The main reason stems from unexpected inventory costs and delays in delivering advanced memory chips, particularly affecting the semiconductor division, which is the main source of revenue for the group. This sector has faced difficulties for more than a year, but Samsung expects operating profit to improve in the second half of the year thanks to gradually recovering global demand for AI chips and high-performance computers.
Why is Samsung lagging in the AI chip race?
Samsung is struggling in the AI chip sector as it is surpassed by domestic rival SK Hynix in high bandwidth memory (HBM) chip production, a key factor serving modern AI systems.
Samsung had hoped to secure large contracts from Nvidia for the latest HBM3E 12-layer chips but has not yet received final quality certification.
(Bloomberg, 07/2025)
In contrast, SK Hynix has started delivering samples of HBM4 12 Layer-1.8V chips since July 2025, becoming Nvidia's preferred supplier for AI chips, far ahead of Samsung in this race. Micron Technology – a U.S. supplier – has also released a sample of HBM since June 2025.
Analysts Bernstein and Mark Li forecast that the HBM market share in 2025 will belong to SK Hynix 57%, Samsung 27%, and Micron 16%, reflecting the long-term impact of Samsung's certification delays.
How is Samsung preparing its recovery strategy in the second half of 2025?
Samsung has launched an improved HBM3E chip sample named Superman for key customers like Nvidia, hoping to soon complete certification to begin mass production.
Jun Young-hyun, President of Samsung's semiconductor division: “We failed to dominate the HBM market early, but we will not repeat this mistake with HBM4, which is expected to play a prominent role in Nvidia's next-generation GPU architecture.” (Shareholders meeting, 03/2025)
In addition, Samsung also plans to start mass production of HBM4 chips in Q3 2025 to compete more fiercely in the market. Daishin Securities expert Ryu Hyung-keun assesses that the certification process for HBM3E is longer than expected, but Samsung is on the right track with a strong roadmap for HBM4 launch.
Samsung's long-term strategy is to reduce dependence on consumer electronics, focusing on developing high-end memory, AI infrastructure, and chip manufacturing services, in order to reaffirm its position in the fierce AI chip market.
Market share comparison table for HBM chip production in 2025
Manufacturer Expected Market Share (%) Key Chips Notes SK Hynix 57 HBM4 12 Layer-1.8V Nvidia's preferred supplier, early samples delivered from 07/2025 Samsung 27 HBM3E 12 layers (Superman) Completing certification, deploying HBM4 in Q3 2025 Micron Technology 16 HBM samples Released HBM samples since June 2025
Frequently Asked Questions
What factors are causing Samsung's profit decline? The profit decrease is primarily due to unusual inventory costs and delays in delivering high-end memory chips, significantly impacting the semiconductor sector. How is Samsung falling behind in the AI chip market? Samsung is trailing SK Hynix in high bandwidth memory chips, losing its position as a preferred supplier for Nvidia due to the lack of timely certification for new chips. What is Samsung's recovery plan for the second half of 2025? The company plans to start mass production of the new generation HBM4 chips in Q3 2025, along with completing the HBM3E chips to increase competitiveness. What is the projected market share for HBM chips in 2025? SK Hynix is expected to account for about 57%, Samsung 27%, and Micron Technology 16%, according to Bernstein and analysts. Is Samsung adjusting its business strategy? Yes, the company aims to reduce dependence on consumer electronics, focusing on developing high-end memory chips and AI infrastructure in the long term.
Source: https://tintucbitcoin.com/samsung-lai-giam-vi-canh-tranh-chip-ai/
Thank you for reading this article!
Please Like, Comment, and Follow TinTucBitcoin to stay updated with the latest news about the cryptocurrency market and not miss any important information!
