The global memory market is going through a bit of an unexpected shift in 2026. DDR4, which has long been the go-to option for affordable and widely available memory, is suddenly getting harder to find and noticeably more expensive. And it’s starting to affect a lot more than just PCs.

A recent report from Nikkei points to a sharp jump in prices. A standard DDR4 8GB module hit around $15 in February 2026, up 15% from the previous month and 8.8 times higher than what it was a year ago. DDR5 prices are also moving up, though not as dramatically, suggesting there’s broader pressure building across the DRAM market.

The main reason comes down to supply. Major players like Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have been gradually pulling back from DDR4 and LPDDR4 production. The focus now is on newer, more profitable high-bandwidth memory production, especially with AI demand picking up. That shift makes sense from a business perspective, but it’s left older standards in a tight spot.

For companies that still rely on DDR4, this is becoming a real problem. Some reports suggest buyers are only able to secure about half of the memory they actually need, even when paying higher prices. That kind of shortage can slow down production or force last-minute changes.

Interestingly, it’s not just smartphones or laptops feeling this. Devices like digital cameras and even TVs are getting caught up in the situation. Some manufacturers are reportedly looking at fallback options like DDR3, though that brings its own issues since supply there is tightening as well.

DDR4 isn’t obsolete yet, but it’s clearly no longer the priority. For now, that means higher costs, tighter supply, and a bit of uncertainty for anyone still relying on it.

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For years, Apple used its position as the memory industry’s biggest customer to secure lower prices on key parts like LPDDR. That balance has now shifted. In an unusual change, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have successfully pushed through major price increases on low-power DRAM used in iPhones, forcing Apple to accept hikes of up to 100% for the first quarter of 2026.

Supply crunch shifts leverage to memory makers

According to a report from ZDNet Korea, Samsung proposed an 80% price increase, while SK Hynix asked for nearly 100%. Apple reportedly agreed to both due to a tight supply situation caused by rising demand for memory used in AI applications. As suppliers move production toward more profitable HBM (high bandwidth memory) chips, supplies of standard LPDDR have dropped, putting pressure even on the industry’s largest buyer.

Apple usually signs long-term annual contracts for memory supply, but this year, agreements were reportedly finalized only for the first half. This leaves room for more price increases later, especially ahead of the iPhone 18 Pro series launch, which could further raise Apple’s memory costs in the second half of the year.

Despite these increases, sources say Apple is still paying less for LPDDR than most competitors. However, the price gap between Apple and other buyers has narrowed. Samsung and SK hynix are clearly gaining more control over pricing, and early market reaction suggests investors approve. SK Hynix shares jumped more than 8%, while Samsung’s stock rose nearly 4% after the news.

TrendForce expects DRAM prices to rise by as much as 60% this quarter, showing how quickly the market is changing. Even Apple is no longer fully protected. The long period where buyers held the upper hand may be coming to an end, as memory suppliers begin setting the terms.

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SK Hynix plans to accelerate the launch of its new semiconductor facilities in response to growing global demand for memory chips. The company confirmed that it will open its first chip factory in Yongin, South Korea, three months ahead of schedule, targeting February 2027. It will also begin operating its new M15X fab in Cheongju next month to produce high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips.

The move comes amid a sharp rise in demand for HBM, which is used in AI systems developed by companies like Nvidia and AMD. SK Hynix is currently one of the leading HBM suppliers and a key partner in OpenAI’s Stargate project. Prices for some memory products have jumped more than 300% over the past year, according to TrendForce data, placing additional pressure on chipmakers to increase production.

SK Hynix is also investing $13 billion in a new packaging and testing facility named P&T7, which will be built in Cheongju near the M15X plant. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2026, with completion expected by the end of 2027. The company aims to improve efficiency by enabling direct transfer of DRAM modules from M15X to P&T7 for final packaging.

The expansion is part of SK Hynix’s broader efforts to scale production and reduce reliance on external foundries. The Yongin facility is one piece of a planned $407 billion “Semiconductor Cluster” that will include four fabs.

SK Hynix stated that it reviews its production strategy on a monthly basis and is observing a shift among hyperscaler customers toward multi-year supply agreements, rather than traditional one-year deals.

The company currently holds over 60% of the global HBM market. As AI-related demand continues to grow, SK Hynix is positioning itself to maintain its lead by expanding its domestic capacity and accelerating deployment timelines.

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The US-China trade war is once again putting pressure on the global chip industry, and this time two of South Korea’s biggest names are in the spotlight. Samsung and SK Hynix face fresh restrictions that could complicate their operations in China, one of their key markets.

The US Commerce Department said it will revoke licenses that previously allowed Samsung and SK Hynix to bring in US-made chipmaking equipment for their Chinese plants. The decision, which takes effect in 120 days, doesn’t shut down their factories but does block them from upgrading or expanding with new American tools.

That’s a big deal for Samsung’s NAND flash operations in Xi’an — a site that reportedly accounts for around 40% of its global output — as well as for SK Hynix’s DRAM production. Both companies still focus on older chips in China (28nm and above), while keeping advanced nodes at home in South Korea and in the US.

Why it matters

Washington says the move is about national security, aiming to slow China’s semiconductor progress and keep cutting-edge tools out of potential military use. But for Samsung and SK Hynix, it creates long-term uncertainty: they won’t be able to replace broken machines or bring in the latest equipment from US suppliers.

The move also builds on export controls first introduced in 2022, which came with temporary waivers to avoid disrupting the global supply chain. Now, with those waivers being pulled, the balance could tilt. Chinese equipment makers may gain ground, and US rival Micron could benefit as well.

Both Samsung and SK Hynix reportedly employ more than 20,000 people in China, and will now need individual license approvals if they want to import new gear. According to Reuters, approvals are far from guaranteed. South Korea’s trade ministry is already in talks to try and soften the blow, but the bigger picture is clear: the US wants to shift advanced chip production away from China.

For Samsung, the timing is awkward. While the company is preparing for the Galaxy Tab S11 launch at IFA 2025, its semiconductor division faces a tougher road ahead in navigating the geopolitical storm.

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According to a recent press release from South Korean semiconductor manufacturer SK Hynix, the company has developed a series of new storage products, which the company showcased at the FMS 2024 Summit. The development includes USF 4.1 universal flash memory.

SK Hynix showcased two UFS 4.1 universal flash memories with capacities of 512GB and 1TB respectively. Both of them are based on 321-layer stacked V9 1Tb TLC NAND flash memory. The company not only displayed the announced 1Tb capacity and 2.4Gbps rate TLC, but also exhibited the industry-leading 3.2Gbps V9 2Tb QLC and 3.6Gbps high-speed V9H 1Tb TLC particles for the first time.

Unfortunately, detailed specifications of the UFS 4.1 storage chips have not been officially released yet. It was rumored that the UFS 4.1 storage offers a data transfer rate of 8 gigabits per second (GB/s), which is an improvement over the 4 GB/s offered by the UFS 4.0 storage chips.

The latest UFS specification that has been published is UFS 4.0 in August 2022. UFS 4.0 specifies a theoretical interface speed of up to 46.4Gbps per device, and USF 4.1 is expected to further improve the transfer rate.

Back in May this year, the company also announced its development of the ZUFS 4.0 (Zoned UFS). According to the company, this is a NAND flash memory chip that improves the efficiency of data management and optimizes data transfer between the operating system and storage devices. The application of this flash memory product includes various electronic devices such as digital cameras and smartphones. According to the company. it also improves the performance of the on-device AI applications.

UFS 4.1 is expected to further improve the storage performance of smartphones and other electronic devices. According to a previous leak, we could be able to experience the improvements offered by UFS 4.1 with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

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SK hynix has announced the development of its next-generation GDDR7 memory, marking a significant leap in memory technology. With a peak speed of 32Gbps, the GDDR7 offers a 60% performance boost over its predecessor. This advancement is crucial for meeting the growing demands of AI, graphics-intensive applications, and high-performance computing.

The six-layer exothermal substrate reduced thermal resistance by 74% compared to the previous generation

To address the thermal challenges associated with high-speed memory, SK Hynix has implemented a six-layer exothermal substrate and high thermal conductivity epoxy resin mold plastic (EMC) packaging. This innovative approach reduces thermal resistance by 74% compared to the previous generation, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.

Mass production of the GDDR7 memory is slated to commence in the third quarter of 2024, positioning SK Hynix as a leader in memory technology. This breakthrough is expected to drive advancements in various industries, including gaming, data centers, and artificial intelligence.

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SK Hynix has definitely caused a stir with the announcement of a groundbreaking solid-state drive (SSD) boasting a colossal 300TB capacity. Revealed during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, this prototype represents a significant leap forward in data storage solutions.

Global data generation will jump to a crazy 660ZB by the year 2030

The 300TB SSD is just one piece of a broader strategy by SK Hynix to fuel the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) in both data centers and personal devices. Market researchers anticipate a massive surge in global data generation, with figures expected to jump from 15ZB (Zettabytes) in 2014 to a staggering 660ZB by 2030. This exponential growth underscores the critical need for high-capacity storage solutions like 100TB hard disk drives (HDDs) and the revolutionary 300TB SSDs.

While specifics regarding the 300TB SSD remain under wraps, the announcement itself speaks volumes about the future of data storage. The coming years will likely see a significant rise in demand for both high-capacity drives and high-performance all-flash arrays, catering to a variety of applications.

SK Hynix isn’t stopping at the 300TB behemoth. They’re also developing a comprehensive range of products designed to support various aspects of AI, from training and inference in data centers (HBM4, HBM4E, CXL pooled memory solutions, memory processing solutions) to edge AI devices (LPDDR6, GDDR7, PIM) and even on-device AI inference (LPDDR6, GDDR7, high-capacity DDR5).

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Samsung is undoubtedly one of the world’s largest technology companies. Its diverse product range sets it apart from competitors. The South Korean manufacturer produces smartphones, tablets, headphones, televisions, and robot vacuum cleaners. They also manufacture screens, batteries, and semiconductor chips.

This allows Samsung to sell products to both consumers and businesses like Apple. However, recent claims suggest Samsung is holding onto even old chip making equipment due to concerns about US sanctions. Here are the details…

Samsung Holds Back on Selling Old Tech, Citing US Sanction Worries

Tech companies often want to be sustainable and use resources wisely. So, they upgrade their production lines with new equipment. Instead of scrapping the old machines, they sell them. This helps them update their factories and make use of what they already own. However, companies like Samsung and SK Hynix have recently stopped selling old chip-making equipment, due to worries about trouble with the United States.

The reason behind this decision is the concern that these components might somehow reach Russia and China, countries subject to US embargos. Although both companies are cautious, there are instances where their products have found their way into restricted markets. For instance, a few months ago, SK Hynix chips used in the Huawei Mate 60 series caused issues, prompting the company to issue a statement.

Certainly, there are no legal sanctions for products provided to the right sellers. However, as the presidential election approaches, producers seem hesitant to take any risks. This situation leads to unique problems; some producers spend millions just to store old machines. Additionally, manufacturers like Huawei could lag behind in competition if they cannot access modern technologies.

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The US government has agreed to waive export controls that would have required Samsung and SK hynix to obtain additional licenses to supply equipment to their Chinese factories. The decision, which was announced by the South Korean presidential office on Tuesday, is a major victory for the two South Korean chipmakers, which have invested billions of dollars in China. Here are the details…

US Agrees to Let Samsung and SK Hynix Supply Equipment to Chinese Plants

The US government imposed the export controls in October 2022 in an effort to prevent China from gaining access to advanced semiconductor technology. However, the controls were met with strong opposition from the South Korean government and businesses, which argued that they would harm the global semiconductor supply chain and damage relations between the US and its allies.

Under the new agreement, Samsung and SK hynix will be able to import equipment for their Chinese factories without having to apply for additional licenses from the US government. The agreement is effective immediately. “We are grateful to the US government for its decision, which will allow us to continue to invest in our Chinese factories and meet the growing demand for semiconductors in the Chinese market,” said a Samsung spokesperson.

SK hynix also welcomed the decision, saying it “will help us to strengthen our competitiveness in the Chinese market and contribute to the local economy.” The decision is a major step forward for Samsung and SK hynix, which have been seeking to expand their presence in China.

The two companies are major suppliers of memory chips, which are used in a wide range of electronic devices, including smartphones, computers, and servers. The decision is also a win for the South Korean government, which has been lobbying the US to ease the export controls. The government has argued that the controls would harm the South Korean economy, which is heavily reliant on the semiconductor industry.

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SK Hynix has unveiled its latest DRAM innovation, the HBM3E memory, a groundbreaking product specifically designed for AI applications. This announcement establishes the company’s dominance in the ultra-high-performance memory sector. Samples are already being distributed to customers for performance verification, and mass production starts in 1H24.

HBM3E Achieves an Astounding 1.15TB/s Data Processing Speed

HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) refers to a stack of multiple DRAM chips vertically arranged, which considerably amplifies data processing speeds. The evolution of HBM DRAM has seen its advancements from the first-generation HBM to the most recent, fifth-generation HBM3E. Notably, HBM3E is an enhancement of its predecessor, HBM3.

With their extensive history in HBM production, SK Hynix commented on the release, “As the exclusive manufacturer of HBM3, our development of the world’s most superior HBM3E showcases our deep expertise and commitment to leading the AI memory market.” The company has plans to commence mass production of this cutting-edge memory by the first half of the subsequent year.

The HBM3E boasts a staggering data processing speed of 1.15 terabytes per second. To put this in perspective, it’s capable of handling 230 full high-definition (FHD) movies, each 5 gigabytes in size, in just one second.

Beyond its sheer speed, the product incorporates the latest Advanced MR-MUF technology, enhancing heat dissipation by a notable 10% compared to its previous generation. Furthermore, the HBM3E is designed with backward compatibility. This feature enables a seamless transition for customers, allowing the integration of HBM3E into existing HBM3-based systems without necessitating any design alterations.

The longstanding partnership between NVIDIA and SK Hynix further solidifies the promise of HBM3E. Ian Buck, VP of NVIDIA’s Hyperscale and HPC Division, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration’s future, emphasizing the potential of the new HBM3E in revolutionizing AI computing.

Samsung is also set to start mass production of HBM chips tailored for AI in the latter half of 2023, competing directly with SK Hynix. In 2022, SK Hynix held a 50% share of the HBM market, Samsung had 40%, and Micron accounted for the remaining 10%. The HBM market constitutes just 1% of the overall DRAM segment.

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Earlier this year, the South Korean memory chip manufacturer SK Hynix announced the arrival of their cutting-edge DRAM, claiming it would be the fastest DRAM in the market. In recent reports which have emerged online, it has been confirmed that this DRAM will be worth waiting for. Apparently, MediaTek has tested out the LPDDR5T chips with their upcoming processor and confirmed that the new LPDDR5T ( Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo) is faster than anything else currently available in the market.

As per the reports, the LPDDR5T will have a 9.6 Gbps data rate, a 13 percent increase from the current generation LPDDR5X by Samsung. It operates at ultra-low voltages of 1.01 to 1.12V, which is 10% lower than the previous generation LPDDR5X. This makes LPDDR5T extremely power efficient while still providing fast speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps. It is also available in a variety of storage capacities, up to 16GB. This allows for high-performance mobile devices with plenty of storage space. SK Hynix has also provided samples of 16GB multi-chip packages, which combine multiple LPDDR5T chips into one package. This allows for even higher speeds and processing power, up to 77GB of data per second.

It is speculated that MediaTek has used the Dimensity 9300 SoC to test out the LPDDR5T DRAM from SK Hynix. Going by that logic, we can expect upcoming phones featuring the Dimensity 9300 SoC to also come with LPDDR5T DRAM onboard. Currently, the Vivo X100 and the X100 Pro are the likely candidates, as earlier leaks have revealed that these smartphones feature the Dimensity 9300 SoC. That being said, this is merely speculation at this point, so we suggest readers take it with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more.

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Samsung, a prominent player in the semiconductor industry, is set to start mass production of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for artificial intelligence (AI) applications later this year. The company is determined to close the gap with SK Hynix, a key competitor that currently leads the AI memory semiconductor market.

Market Dynamics: SK Hynix’s Lead and Samsung’s Ambitious Plans

As per reports from Korean media, Samsung plans to start mass-manufacturing HBM chips specifically designed for AI in the second half of 2023. In 2022, SK Hynix commanded approximately 50% of the HBM market, while Samsung held around 40% market share, with Micron accounting for the remaining 10%, according to TrendForce via The Korea Times. It is worth noting that the HBM market represents only about 1% of the entire DRAM segment.

However, with the anticipated growth of the AI market, the demand for HBM solutions is projected to rise. Samsung aims to catch up with SK Hynix by ramping up the production of its HBM3 chips, which boast 16GB and 24GB capacities. These advanced chips utilize a vertical stacking technique to combine multiple DRAM chips and can achieve speeds of up to 6.4Gbps.

While the term “AI” has garnered significant attention, the increasing adoption of AI servers underscores the need for high-bandwidth memory solutions. Samsung’s strategic move to mass-manufacture HBM3 chips aligns with the market’s shifting demands and positions the company to compete effectively in the evolving landscape of AI supercomputing.

With Samsung’s entry into mass production and its commitment to memory semiconductor-centered supercomputers by 2028, the race for dominance in AI memory semiconductors is expected to intensify.

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Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron, the three leading memory chip makers in the world, are reportedly pushing for the popularization of DDR5 memory to help boost the semiconductor market. Industry experts are hopeful that increasing the output and promotion of DDR5 memory will stimulate replacement demand, curbing the downward trend of the semiconductor market.

DDR5 DRAM Performs Twice as Better as DDR4 DRAM

DDR5 DRAM is the latest memory specification introduced by JEDEC, boasting a performance double that of its predecessor, DDR4 DRAM. However, DDR4 DRAM currently dominates the memory market, and experts believe that promoting DDR5 memory is necessary to stimulate demand for newer specifications.

According to market research company OMDIA, DDR5 DRAM is set to take over the memory market by 2024, surpassing DDR4 DRAM. The company predicts that DDR5 DRAM will account for 12% of the DRAM market in 2023, up from just 3% in 2022, and is expected to grow to 27% by 2024, while DDR4 DRAM is expected to fall to 23%.

The popularization of DDR5 memory could have significant implications for the semiconductor market. The semiconductor market has been hit hard by a global shortage of chips, which has impacted various industries, including automobiles, smartphones, and gaming consoles. The promotion of DDR5 memory could help boost the market, as more consumers replace their devices with newer, DDR5-equipped models.

DDR5 memory offers several advantages over its predecessor, DDR4 memory. DDR5 memory has double the data rate, higher memory density, and lower power consumption. These improvements make DDR5 memory ideal for high-performance applications such as gaming, artificial intelligence, and data centers.

The popularization of DDR5 memory is a significant development for the semiconductor market. China saw a 17 percent decline in semiconductor output in 2023 so far. It is expected to help stimulate replacement demand and boost the market, particularly as more consumers upgrade to DDR5-equipped devices. With its higher performance and energy efficiency, DDR5 memory is poised to take over the memory market in the coming years, surpassing DDR4 memory in terms of popularity and usage.

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The United States is planning to limit the number of advanced chips made by South Korean companies in China. This move will likely affect South Korean tech giants like Samsung and SK Hynix who have significant investments in China.

According to a Reuters report, The United States Commerce Department undersecretary for Industry and Security, Alan Estevez said that Washington will likely add a cap to the number of chips that South Korean companies can make in China. Estevez who supervises the Chinese trade restrictions made this comment during an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington. 

South Korea’s Investment in Semiconductor Foundries in China:

South Korea is a world leader in memory chip production with a total market value of $70 billion. The South Korean semiconductor economy is mainly driven by two of the world’s largest semiconductor producers, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix who have invested billions of dollars in key manufacturing facilities in China.

Samsung Electronics has two main production facilities in China, one for NAND (flash memory) which is located in Xi’an, and another for DRAM ( Dynamic Random Access Memory) which is located in Suzhou. Apart from these facilities, Samsung has also established three advanced R&D centers in China, which is more than it has in its home country. The Samsung Xi’an factory accounts for 42.5% of its total NAND production and 15.3% of its global capacity. It is also the tech giant’s largest overseas investment with an initial expenditure of $7 billion for the production facility. 

When it comes to SK Hynix, though the company has no R&D centers in China, it has built its DRAM and NAND memory chip production facilities in Wuxi, Chongqing, and Dalian. The factory at Wuxi produces more than 40% of the company’s DRAM chips.  Apart from these two tech companies, there are many other South Korean fabless semiconductor firms and startups that have established their base in China. 

Why is South Korea in a Dilemma?

Right now, China is the largest market for South Korean semiconductor companies. According to data from the Korea International Trade Association, mainland China and Hong Kong account for about 60% of the country’s semiconductor exports. However, the ongoing US-China trade war has put South Korea in a difficult position. 

If a chip production cap is put on South Korean companies in China, then the companies will face severe losses and the South Korean economy will take a downturn. South Korea’s Minister of Industry said that to date there have been no official discussions between South Korea and the United States for setting a limit on the technology and production levels. 

He further added that both South Korea and the US have agreed to not let the sanctions and policies affect the current and future investments of Korean companies in China. Last year in October, both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix received a one-year reprieve from US export restrictions. The country is now planning to enter into a discussion with the US to extend the reprieve. 

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SK hynix Inc., the South Korean memory chip manufacturer, has made a groundbreaking announcement with the unveiling of the world’s fastest mobile DRAM, the LPDDR5T (Low Power Double Data Rate 5 Turbo). The LPDDR5T operates at an impressive data rate of 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps), a 13% increase from the previous generation LPDDR5X, which was released in November 2022. The company added ‘Turbo’ to the standard name LPDDR5 to highlight the maximum speed of the product.

The LPDDR5T operates within the ultra-low voltage range of 1.01 to 1.12V set by the JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council). As per company reports, LPDDR5T is extremely fast while having ultra-low power consumption at the same time. SK hynix also plans to provide customers with a variety of storage capacities. The company has provided samples of 16 gigabyte multi-chip packages, which combine multiple LPDDR5T chips into one package. This allows for a processing power of 77GB of data per second. 

SK hynix plans to begin mass production of LPDDR5T using 1anm technology in the latter half of the year 2023. 1anm technology is the fourth generation of the 10nm technology. As per IT industry forecasts, there will be an increased demand for memory chips with better specifications, owing to the imminent expansion of the 5G smartphone market. With Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and Virtual reality becoming more and more accessible, SK Hynix predicts that their LPDDR5T DRAM will be an asset to the same. 

Sungsoo Ryu, Head of DRAM Product Planning at SK hynix, stated that the company has fulfilled customers’ demand for ultra-high-performance products and will continue to work on technology development to lead the next-generation semiconductor market and become a game-changer in the IT world.

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As the electronic devices of today keep getting more technologically advanced year by year, as consumers, we demand more memory and faster speeds for smoother operations across a wide variety of applications. DRAM memory has become an essential electronic component in keeping our devices running smoothly and fast, and there are a lot of RAM options in the market from the latest DDR5 memory to the cheapest DDR3 memory.

However, DDR3 seems to be showing its age in the market, as the technology initially launched in 2007 turns 15 years old today in 2022. With that context in mind, several of the world’s largest DRAM suppliers such as Samsung and SK Hynix have come out to announce that the industry is looking to discontinue the production of DDR3 due to dwindling market demands, and higher demands for its DDR4 and DDR5 options instead.

According to Digitimes, Samsung has already notified its customers that the company will keep taking orders on DDR3 RAM until the end of 2022 and fulfil these orders by the end of 2023. Popular 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB DDR3 memory options are expected to have production ceased by the end of 2022. 

SK Hynix is also reportedly looking forward to phasing out DDR3 SDRAM production, though it is unclear when the company will cease to supply them. The report from Digitimes, also notes that citing industry sources, DRAM maker Micron, on the other hand, has no plans to cease production of DDR3 RAM at the time of publishing. 

Although most electronic devices of today have already transitioned over DDR4 or DDR5 memory for DRAM, there is still a relatively large quantity of inexpensive devices like routers that still use DDR3 memory. In addition, older 2nd hand or refurbished early 2010s laptops that are still in circulation in the market still need DDR3 memory for repairs and replacements.

The discontinuation of production could spell a price hike for the inexpensive electronic devices, as manufacturers will now be using the more expensive DDR4 option instead, and that cost of production in the end would be given back to the consumer. On the bright side, technology is finally saying goodbye to the slower DDR3 memory, and providing a faster user experience for all by transitioning to DDR4 and DDR5 in the future.

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(Via)

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In October 2020, SK Hynix, the second-largest memory chipmaker after Samsung, became the world’s first to release DDR5 DRAM (Double Data Rate dynamic random access memory) chips. The South Korean company continues to maintain its lead in the DDR5 DRAM technology as it announced earlier today that it’s now sampling the world’s first 24Gb (gigabit) DDR5 RAM chips with customers.

According to Yahoo Finance, the announcement came yesterday (December 14th) by SK Hynix, who stated that they have shipped samples of 24 Gigabit (GB) DDR5 DRAM with the industry’s largest density for a single DRAM chip. Previously, memory modules have typically maxed out at 16Gb of capacity per chip.

The rapid development of this higher capacity chip can be credited to SK hynix’s new 1anm manufacturing process, which uses extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. In addition to the increased density, this new process offers an increase in production efficiency and speed by up to 33%. SK hynix expects the product to reduce carbon emissions as well, which is meaningful in the context of ESG management.

The chips also gain some benefits from the new process, including a 25% reduced power consumption for the same capacity, effectively reducing the overall system power draw while potentially offering some extra wiggle room for overclocking.

The initial offerings of the new 24GB capacity chips are set to be 48GB and 96GB modules for supply to cloud data centers. It is also expected to power high-performance servers, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. Additionally, this increase in DDR5 DRAM capacity comes at a crucial time when the world is witnessing the dawn of the Metaverse.

RELATED:

• SK Hynix confirms the 18GB LPDDR5 DRAM variant of the ASUS ROG Phone 5
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• Samsung memory chip market dominance threatened by emerging rivals

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Samsung‘s latest foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has been graded as the most durable foldable phone around. That is because the Korean tech giant seems to have focused on that aspect. The Z Fold 3 doesn’t have anything spectacular in the camera segment as its setup is hardly different from the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The two models feature a 12MP wide-angle camera with OIS, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and OIS.

However, one aspect where the Z Fold 3 differs from its predecessor is in the aspect of the brand of the telephoto camera. A recent report emanating from South Korea ha revealed that the Z Fold 3’s telephoto lens was manufactured by Korean Nand manufacturer SK Hynix. The sensor in question is the Hi-1337 sensor. SK Hynix had announced the sensor in the early part of last year packing a 13MP resolution, 1µm pixels, and 2x optical zoom. One spectacular feature of the sensor is its flexibility, as it can be deployed as a selfie camera and a wide-angle camera.

What makes this news surprising is that SK Hynix is well-known as a NAND manufacturer and its camera sensor business occupy just 2% of the market. The market is dominated by Sony with a 40% market share and Samsung with a 22% market share. But Samsung chose to use a sensor by SK Hynix on its most expensive phone. Surprising!

Obviously, the focus of the Korean tech giant is on the folding mechanism and not on the camera aspect. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 even features a 4MP Under Display selfie camera that is anything but inspiring.

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(source)

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Smartphones with higher RAMs have been a thing for years now. You might have experienced the scenarios when your smartphone’s RAM is more than your laptop. After the explosion of the Gaming smartphone market, this has gone to another level. Nubia recently brought its RedMagic 6 series and launched an 18GB RAM variant of RedMagic 6 Pro. Ahead of leaks saying ASUS will follow suit, SK Hynix has confirmed the news today.

In a press release, SK Hynix, which is a South Korean supplier of DRAMs (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips, said that it supplied the very first 18GB LPDDR5 products to the Taiwanese giant ASUS. This is for the upcoming ROG Phone 5 gaming smartphone and the top-end variant should feature it.

Recently, reports regarding the 18GB RAM variant of the device surfaced on the internet. The variant appeared on the benchmarking platforms Geekbench and Master Lu. Anyway, SK Hynix says that it has started the mass-production of 18GB (gigabyte) LPDDR5 mobile DRAM chips.

These chips will ensure high processing speed and image quality with improved temporary data storage. These RAMs are capable of speeds up to 6,400Mbps which is around 20% faster than the current versions(5,500Mbps). Specifically, this means you can transfer ten 5GB FHD (Full-HD) movies per second.

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 is launching in a couple of days i.,e on March 10. The device is likely to feature a 6.78-inch OLED screen on the front, Snapdragon 888 chipset, and a revamped rear panel Dot-Matrix LED on the back.

DXOMARK Audio review revealed that it will also have a 3.5mm audio jack, Dual-Front facing speakers with Dirac tuning technology. Other expected specs include a  64MP Quad-Bayer triple-camera, a 6,000mAh battery with 65W rapid charging, and run Android 11 OS.

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(Via)

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SK Hynix announced earlier today (29th January 2021) that it would be shifting some of its foundry facilities that use its 8 inch wafers from its home country South Korea to China. The move arrives to meet the surging demand in the market.

According to a NikkeiAsia report, the South Korean chip maker and the second largest semiconductor based firm of the region is moving chip facilities to China to meet rising customer demands and lower costs as well. As per the company’s official notes, its foundry chips that are based on its 8 inch wafers is facing strong demand, as its supply of chips using 12 inch wafers is limited due to the higher requirement of investment to build newer facilities.

SK Hynix stated during its fourth quarter earnings report that it “plans to move 8-inch wafer facilities to China, where cost-saving is expected, to seize the chance fully. Initially we planned to do it in two years, but we changed the plan to do it as soon as possible to cope with rising customer demand.” Interestingly, Sky Hynix’s shift to China arrives amid major OEMs moving their supply chain and production away from the Southeast Asian nation.

The company further added that “For us it is better to add more facilities in China, as we have no overseas factories outside of the country.” During the fourth quarter of last year, SK Hynix saw a four fold rise in operating profits, reaching 966 billion won (roughly 865 million US Dollars) year on year, thanks to the strong demand for mobile chips. Its operating profit for the whole of 2020 jumped by 84 percent as well, which was backed by rising demand for memory chips.

RELATED:

• SK Hynix begins operations in its foundry factory in China
• Intel to sell memory business to SK Hynix for $9 billion
• SK Hynix launches World’s First DDR5 DRAM, offers 1.8 times faster transfer rates

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SK Hynix is beginning operations from its foundry factory in China. The South Korean chipmaker held a factory production ceremony earlier this week and is now starting operations from the Chinese unit.

SK Hynix System IC’s factory can handle with 8 inch wafers, which is notable since Chine has numerous fabless companies, as per TheElec report. At the moment, China’s fabless market is estimated to have a value of 25.5 billion US Dollars, which is expected to more than double by next year reaching 68.6 billion US Dollars. This news also arrives after China’s largest chipmaker, SMIC, being added to the entity list by the US government, which should benefit the South Korean company.

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Back in 2018, SK Hynix entered into a joint venture with the Wuxi government and has since completed its factory in 2019. Since then, the company had been working on shifting some of its equipment at its M8 fab in its South Korea to the newly opened one in China. Other necessary equipment are expected to be transferred by the end of 2021, and will have fab produced in China while research and development will be undertaken in South Korea.

Notably, the news also arrives as SMIC shares fell after one of its top executive resigned. The surprising resignation of the co-CEO Liang Mong Song was shared via online media outlets and stated that the reason for his departure was the appointment of a vice chairman without his approval. The Chinese semiconductor based firm has since seen a drop in shares between 7.2 percent to as much as 9.8 percent lower, which is the most in a day since the past three months, as per a Fortune report.

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The semiconductor equipment sales have increased by a sizeable 30 percent worldwide in the third quarter of this year. This figure is a significant bump over the same quarter from back in 2019.

According to TheElec report based on a SEMI analysis, the global sales of semiconductor equipment reached 19.4 billion US Dollars in Q3 2020. Out of this, China accounted for a notable 5.62 billion US Dollars. This was closely followed by Taiwan with 4.75 billion US Dollars. South Korea arrived third with 4.22 billion US Dollars, despite semiconductor equipment sales dropping by 6 percent in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter, but still saw an impressive jump of 92 percent over the same period last year.

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Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix were notable figures and 2020 marked an increase in expenditure from both companies, which likely led to the growth. The former even began operations at its P2 line at its Pyeongtaek factory back in August. The South Korean tech giant has even signed contracts that are collectively worth 87.2 billion Won (or roughly 80 million US Dollars) in the third quarter for semiconductor equipment. Similarly, SK Hynix also signed two contracts worth 30.9 billion Won (roughly 28 million US Dollars) as well.

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Intel has reached a deal with South Korean company SK Hynix to sell its flash-memory business for about $9 billion in an all-cash deal. With this, the U.S.-based chipset maker has moved away from the memory business as the flash memory pricing is on the decline.

As per the deal, SK Hynix is planning to buy most of Intel’s memory business, which also includes memory manufacturing operations in Dalian, China. However, Intel will keep the Optane line of memory products, which is developed in partnership with Micron Technology.

The deal is pending government approval, and both the companies are expecting it to close by late next year. In a statement, Intel CEO Bob Swan said “For Intel, this transaction will allow us to further prioritize our investments in differentiated technology.”

With this acquisition, South Korea-based SK Hynix will become one of the largest NAND memory makers in the world. As per the report from TrendForce, SK Hynix and Intel had a combined market share of 20 percent in Q2 2020, behind Samsung which accounted for 30 percent of the market.

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Intel has said that the company plans to invest the deal’s proceeds in building its presence in fast-growing areas like artificial intelligence and 5G networking. Bob Swan said, “this transaction will allow us to further prioritize our investments in differentiated technology where we can play a bigger role in the success of our customers and deliver attractive returns to our stockholders.”

The semiconductor industry has been seeing major developments in terms of acquisitions as the companies are now aiming to dominate the market. Last year, Apple acquired Intel’s smartphone modem business. Last month, NVIDIA announced that it is acquiring ARM Holdings from SoftBank Group for $40 billion.

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These days, smartphones are evaluated based on their photography and videography prowess. Almost all handsets released this year come with at least two rear cameras. The latest report by Strategy Analytics on Smartphone Image Sensor Market Revenue Share H1 2020 reveals how well the manufacturer of these sensors performed.

According to Strategy Analytics, Sony lead the market with a 44% revenue share in the first half of 2020. However, the report does say that the Japanese tech giant’s share dropped due to the rising competition from Samsung LSI, OmniVision, and SK Hynix.

Talking about Samsung LSI, it secured the second position with a 32% revenue share, thanks to its 64MP and 108MP high megapixel sensors. Whereas, the third place was acquired by OmniVision with a 9% share, followed by others with a 15% revenue share.

Further, the report also says that the image sensor market growth was affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic as the overall smartphone market declined. However, it began to recover as a result of the multi-camera craze, which mostly included 8MP and 2MP sensors.

Last but not least, Strategy Analytics predicts better performance in the second half of 2020 than the first half.

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(Via)

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SK Hynix, the second largest memory chipmaker after Samsung, has just announced earlier today (6th October 2020) that it is the world’s first to release DDR5 DRAM (Double Data Rate dynamic random access memory) chips.

The new DDR5 DRAM chips boast performance upgrades up to 1.8 times faster than the previous DDR4 generation of memory. The South Korean company said that it has completed various tests and has even provided partner companies with its samples for verification. One such partner includes Intel. DDR5 is the next generation of DRAM standard, which will have a broad application ranging from big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning technologies, and more.

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According to SK Hynix, the new DDR5 DRAM supports a transfer rate of 4,800 to 5,600 Mbps, which is 1.8 times faster than the 3,200 Mbps offered by DDR4. Notably, the fastest transfer rate of 5,600 Mbps allows users to transmit about nine FHD movies with a size of 5GB each in just one second. Despite the higher transfer rates, the new DRAM chips are also more energy efficient with operating voltages being lowered from 1.2 volts to 1.1 volts, allowing for 20 percent less power consumption.

The new DDR5 chips are also loaded with error correcting code (ECC) that is capable of correcting DRAM cell’s 1-bit-level errors by itself. Furthermore, the new technology also has increased the reliability of the DDR5 application system by 20 times and allowed a reduction in power consumption and operating costs of data centers. For those unaware, the company had first announced its 16 gigabit DDR5 DRAM back in 2018.

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It seems like with each passing week, the trouble for Huawei keeps increasing. The Chinese giant has been under immense pressure to keep its smartphone business afloat ever since the Trump administration put the company on Entity List last year.

Recently, the United States put additional sanctions on Huawei, making it almost impossible for the company to procure high-end smartphone chipsets. Now, as per the report, Samsung Display and LG Display have stopped supplying panels to Huawei.

Earlier, it was estimated that the new sanctions are applicable only to semiconductors and foundries. But as chips driving displays are also included in the sanctions, display panel makers have also stopped supplying their panels.

Additionally, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will also stop supplying semiconductors to Huawei because of the sanctions, reports Chosun. The companies will not only stop supplying memory but also system semiconductors such as 5G and Mobile APs.

Huawei is now looking to replace Samsung and LG as the display supplier and the Chinese giant is reportedly testing panels from Visionox, Tianma, and CSOT (China Star). The company has also adopted BOE as the main supplier as per the guidelines of the Chinese government for expanding domestic parts.

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It is being said that Huawei has set up new business units and is investing in the development of SMIC and driver IC for domestic foundry companies. However, the implementation of such components won’t be easy and very difficult to do in a short time.

From 15th September, to do business with Huawei, the companies must get special approval from the United States Department of Commerce. While some of the companies are seeking approval from the government without positive indication, they won’t be conducting business with Huawei for the foreseeable future.

Even if Huawei manages to somehow procure components from other companies, it will be difficult for the company to manage its position in the smartphone market without having access to the premium parts. We just have to wait and watch what Huawei has up its sleeves to keep its smartphone business afloat.

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Back in 2019, SK Hynix announced that it was successful in the development of a new generation of DRAM memory chips. These new chips were labeled as HBM2E, which are now finally ready for mass production.

According to official claims, the HBM2E has a performance of  3686.4Gbps per pin. This translates to a bandwidth of more than 460GB/s, with a total of 1024 I/O (input/output). The HBM2E architecture stacks eight 16 gigabit DRAM chips with TSV (Through Silicon Via) technology to achieve a total capacity of 16GB, which is more than twice the capacity of previous generation HBM2 memory.

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For those unaware, HBM2 was the memory used by AMD in its previous generation of Radeon Fury graphics cards that were first released back in 2015. Despite having various advantages, its high cost and other limiting factors led to its eventual discontinuation in later generations. Although now, SK Hynix has launched the latest generation of memory solution that arrives with AI systems with deep learning accelerators that would be useful for high performance computers.

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(Source)

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Huawei was put on the Entity List by the U.S. government in May last year and recently, the ban was further extended by another year. A few days ago, the United States tightened export controls in a move that is aimed at limiting Huawei’s access to chip supplies.

Now, the Chinese giant is seeking help from the likes of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix for continued supply of memory chips despite mounting pressure from the United States as the Trump administration tries to isolate Huawei.

As per the reports, Huawei is one of the biggest clients for Samsung and SK Hynix as the company spends more than 10 trillion won (around $8.1 billion) for purchasing DRAM and NAND flash memory chips from the South Korean companies.

While memory chipmakers aren’t subject to the restrictions recently announced by the United States but Huawei is worried that such move could come in later and the Chinese company is preparing for the same.

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The U.S. Commerce Department announced that the all the chip manufacturers using American chipmaking equipment, intellectual property or design software needs to apply for a license before shipping chips to Huawei. Soon after this new rule was announced, TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipset maker stopped taking new orders from Huawei.

In response to this, China’s Department of Commerce said that it strongly objects to the tighter U.S. export controls and added that such restrictions pose a huge threat to the global supply chain. It also demanded U.S. to reverse the new restrictions and warned to take necessary countermeasures.

Commenting on this new rule from the U.S., Andy Purdy, the US Chief Security Officer for Huawei, said that the company will survive this event and will eventually adapt to this and added that the problem will mostly be borne by American employees and companies.

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(Via)

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The world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, SK Hynix, will be strengthening its CMOS sensor business this year. This means the South Korean giant will join the likes of Sony and Samsung in the smartphone image sensor business in 2020 bringing more than four new CMOS image sensors for smartphones.

SK Hynix has rebranded its CIS (CMOS Image Sensor) business as ‘Black Pearl’. In the first half of 2020, the brand will focus on providing telephoto and wide-angle sensors for smartphones. So Black Pearl will directly take on Sony’s Exmor and Samsung’s ISOCELL image sensor brands. The company has already started shipping three new image sensors to smartphone manufacturers. The fourth image sensor will enter mass production this month.

The company’s recent push into the CMOS image sensor business comes as a result of the increasing demand for camera sensors in smartphones. According to Strategy Analytics, the average number of cameras per smartphone increased from 2.2 in 2017 to 3.9 in 2020.

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Four Black Pearl Sensors in Q1: Two Telephoto & Two Ultra-Wide

SK Hynix will be shipping out four new sensors by the end of Q1 2020, this includes two telephoto sensors and two ultra-wide-angle sensors. All four sensors feature 1.0 µm pixels and 8MP to 20MP in resolution. They are likely aimed at mid-range to upper mid-range smartphones.

Hi-1634 and Hi-2021 are the two ultra-wide-angle camera sensors with 16MP and 20MP resolutions respectively. Both sensors support quad-pixel technology to combine four pixels into one to capture brighter, clearer pictures. The other two sensors are: Hi-847 and Hi-1337 with 8MP and 13MP resolutions respectively. These two are telephoto sensors offering up to 3x optical zoom.

SK Hynix also confirmed it will launch a 0.8um 48MP camera sensor in the second half of 2020.

With another significant player in the market, the image sensor industry will be a lot more interesting in 2020. Unfortunately, we don’t know which brands are going to use the new Black Pearl image sensors. With the sensors already shipping to customers, hopefully, we’ll get more details very soon.

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Zong Changqing, China’s Director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, recently did an interview regarding the country’s commercial performance. He reveals a few interesting details, including that many foreign companies like SK Hynix, Corning and even Samsung have increased their investments in manufacturing in China, which is a bit of a surprise.

In manufacturing, foreign investment in electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing, and instrumentation manufacturing increased by 41.2% and 48.2%, respectively. According to the First Financial Report, Zong Changqing also stated that Samsung, SK Hynix, Corning Display, Caterpillar, Ineos, Panasonic, Exxon Mobil and other manufacturing giants have increased their investment in China by over $100 million.

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The reason why it’s somewhat surprising is because a lot of companies were pulling out slightly from production in China since the whole Huawei debacle last year. The biggest example of this was Apple opening up new production plants in companies like India and Vietnam. To see the industry regain confidence in manufacturing in China could mean that things between US and China are calming down.

Along with this, in terms of attracting investment structure, China’s service industry will absorb 681.77 billion yuan of foreign capital in 2019, an increase of 12.5%. Foreign investment in information transmission, software and information technology services increased by 29.4%, and foreign investment in the leasing and business services industry increased by 20.6%.

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(Source)

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The current generation of DRAM, DDR4, also known as “double data rate fourth generation” has been around for quite long. The module started to make its way to computers way back in 2014. However, it is only now after four year’s that we’re seeing the very first glimpse of the next generation, i.e. DDR5. SK Hynix, a prominent DRAM manufacturer, has managed to call first dibs on the world’s first 16GB DDR5 memory chip. The chips are also the first DDR5 modules to be compliant with the JEDEC memory standard.

Speaking more about specifications, the new modules are prepared using Hynix’ 10nm fabrication. DDR5 is expected to give much faster transfer speeds, and evidently, the Hynix DDR5 chip can go up to 5200Mbps transfer speeds which is roughly 60 percent faster than DDR4’s 3200Mbps. Furthermore, it will do this consuming 30 percent less power than the previous version. SK Hynix has left out some details including the die size used for the new modules.

The company intends to shore up its DDR5 range with other capacity versions like the 8GB and 32GB. However, the important thing to note is that SK Hynix has only demoed the first chipset. Actual commercial production isn’t expected to start until 2020. It took quite a lot of time before DDR4 RAM modules actually started going mainstream after they were finalized and this is likely to be the case with DDR5 as well.

Apart from SK Hynix, Cadence and Micron have also been working on DDR5 RAM and expecting productions to begin by 2019.

(Via)

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Smartphone storage chip prices have soared quickly in the past 18 months and it is now being reported that Chinese regulator is keeping a close watch on the companies who are responsible for making these chips. The South Korean companies, Samsung, and HK Hynix are the top two manufacturers of memory chips for smartphones. It is said that China’s National Development and Reform Commision (NDRC) has spoken to Samsung regarding this price surge.

China Daily reports that NDRC could be looking at a possible price fixing strategy by these companies to maximize their profits. The supply of memory chips have been tight in the past few months, but their demand has been increasing, thanks to fast-growing companies like Xiaomi and OPPO. But the shortage of memory chips isn’t something that’s very recent. Remember how Huawei used a mix of eMMC and UFS memory chips in its P10 flagship because of a serious shortage of flash memory chips in the supply chain? So, Huawei’s case isn’t an isolated issue as other companies have also struggled to ensure timely supply of memory chips. For example, a few months back, Reuters published a report stating clients have started accepting long term 6 month supply contracts instead of the traditional quarterly or monthly ones to ensure they have enough supply of memory chips. Even the prices for these chips have risen rapidly in the past few months.

If the regulators come to a conclusion that this is a case of price fixing, it could impose penalties and fines on these companies. Given that foreign (South Korean) firms still hold the technology for making premium 3D NAND chips, it becomes necessary for the Chinese government to take care of the increasing prices to ensure this is not hurting the interest of the domestic smartphone manufacturers.

(Source)

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Samsung announced its breakthrough in the development of 8GB LPDDR4 RAM for mobile phones and tablet few months back but it looks like Samsung isn’t going to have a monopoly of that RAM size. South Korean company SK Hynix has equally announced that it has manufactured a new generation of 8GB LPDDR4 memory in a single chip package suitable for smart phones, tablets and PCs.

The SK Hynix 8GB (64GB) LPDDR4 memory incorporates four 2GB (16GB) DRAM ICs with a nominal data transfer rate or frequency of 3733MT/s (that is 3733MHz). This is lower than the 4266MHz frequency the Samsung 8GB LPDDR4 memory is said to have. The Hynix memory chip also comes with a bandwidth of 29.8GB/s.

Unlike Samsung’s own 8GB LPDDR4 memory which uses the 10nm manufacturing process, the Hynix chip uses a 21nm manufacturing process but is compatible with mainstream mobile phones. It also supports UFS NAND flash memory, voltage rating of 1.8 / 1.1V. This version is now shipping. There is another version with a broader 0.6V ultra low-grade voltage rating which is more energy efficient but this version would ship in the first quarter (Q1) of 2017. This version has as its product number – H9HKNNNFBMMUDR-NMH.

About SK Hynix

In case you don’t know, SK Hynix is the world’s second largest chipmaker after Samsung and the World’s fifth-largest semiconductor company. The company is also known as Hyundai Electronics and in fact, Hynix is an abbreviated form of Hyundai Electronics. A merger with fellow Korean company, SK group gave rise to the name SK Hynix.

Read More: Samsung Announces Industry’s First 8GB LPDDR4 DRAM For Mobile & Tablets

The company supplies memory semiconductors of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and flash memory chips. Its clientèle cuts across from Apple, Asus, IBM, Dell, right to Hewlett-Packard. Hynix memory is used by Apple in some of their iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro computers. Hynix memory is also used by Asus in their Google-branded Nexus 7 tablet, an OEM provider for IBM System x servers, and is used in PC desktops as well as the ASUS Eee PC. Dell and Hewlett-Packard have also used Hynix memory as OEM equipment. Other products that use Hynix memory include DVD players, cellular phones, set-top boxes, personal digital assistants, networking equipment, and hard disk drives.

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