Samsung Reclaims Memory Market Top Spot in 3Q25

Samsung's memory revenue climbed to $19.4 billion in the third quarter of 2025, marking the South Korean firm’s return as the world’s leading memory supplier, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung’s performance during the quarter was driven by strong demand for its conventional DRAM and NAND. Meanwhile, SK Hynix ranked second globally with $17.5 billion in quarterly memory revenue.

Samsung delivered strong results across multiple business areas in 3Q25, offsetting the sluggish performance seen earlier in the year. In the memory segment, the company had ceded the DRAM leadership to SK Hynix in 1Q25. It slipped to second place in the overall memory market in Q2, before regaining the No. 1 position in Q3.

In the smartphone business, the launch of the new Galaxy Z7 series played a pivotal role, driving an increase in the share of foldable smartphones. According to Counterpoint Research’s Market Pulse, Samsung’s overall smartphone sell-through also grew year-over-year during the first two months of the third quarter, underscoring its solid market momentum.

“Samsung faced challenges in the first half of the year due to sluggish HBM performance, but has successfully regained the No.1 position in the global memory market this quarter,” said Jeongku Choi, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research. “This rebound reflects the company’s strong commitment to product quality and operational excellence. Although Samsung narrowly missed reclaiming the DRAM leadership, we expect significant growth momentum next year driven by HBM3E and the wider adoption of HBM4.”