'Samsung is Back' as its HBM4 chip gains customer praise, says co-CEO in New Year address

Samsung Electronics has received widespread acclaim for its next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, known as HBM4, with customers cheering “Samsung is back,” said Samsung's co-CEO and chip chief Jun Young-hyun in his New Year address.

Jun maintained that customers have expressed confidence in Samsung’s progress, stating, “On HBM4 in particular, customers have even stated that ‘Samsung is back’,” while acknowledging that further improvements are necessary.

In October 2025, the Galaxy maker announced it was in “close discussion” to supply its HBM4 chips to US AI leader Nvidia, as the company is striving with dedication to keep up with competitors like SK Hynix in the AI chip market.

Following this development, Samsung Electronics shares rose by 4.5%, while rival SK Hynix registered a 3.1% uptick, both outperforming the benchmark KOSPI, which rose by 1.4% as of 0320 GMT.

SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung highlighted the high demand for AI chips, cautioning that competition is intensifying. He noted that the business environment in 2026 is expected to be more challenging, outlining the need for cautious investments and preparation for the future.

According to Counterpoint Research, SK Hynix led the HBM market in Q3 2025 with a 53% share, followed by Samsung at 35% and Micron at 11%.

The Samsung bigwig also mentioned that recent supply deals in the foundry business had enabled significant growth for Samsung, including a $16.5 billion deal with Tesla.