Korean media reports that the proportion of Samsung Electronics Mobile (MX) business department Galaxy S25 series mobile phones with Micron LPDDR5X DRAM will be higher than that of its own semiconductor (DS) business department, Micron 60% and Samsung DS business department 40%, which is contrary to the market estimate that the DS business department has obtained most orders, showing that Samsung's supply chain strategy has been adjusted.
Korean media dealsite quoted sources as saying that the final Galaxy S25 series of Samsung's MX business department, Micron's LPDDR5X, accounted for 60%, and Samsung's DS business department provided 40%. This decision is based on the MX Business Department's detailed comparison of the yield and performance of the two supplier products. It is worth noting that this will be the first time in a decade that Samsung Electronics has transferred its major DRAM supplier status from its own DS business unit to Micron.
Samsung DS Business Department LPDDR5X production also faces yield problems and cost pressure. Industry standards believe that the yield of low-power DRAM should reach more than 80%, but Samsung DS business products do not meet the standard, which means that the production efficiency of LPDDR5X is inefficient. The more production, the greater the cost.
In addition to yield, the MX Business Department believes that the Samsung DS Business Department LPDDR5X has less heat and power efficiency than Micron's products, and it is difficult to use in large quantities. The Galaxy S25 series requires a speed of at least 9.6Gbps, and DRAM must also meet this specification. Samsung DS Business Department may also accept 40% of the supply to a certain extent based on production efficiency considerations. The Galaxy S25 series requires multiple tests to choose good products, and products with lower yields in the DS business department will increase costs. Therefore, the DS Business Department may also judge that 40% of the purchase is a better choice.
Micro is not only a Samsung supplier, but also a major supplier of low-power DRAM for Apple iPhones. Micron 1β (beta) process DUV (deep ultraviolet light) equipment is produced stably. This time, the LPDDR5X product supplied to the Galaxy S25 is also a 1β process. When Micron first chose the Galaxy S25 series LPDDR5X first supplier at the beginning of the year, the industry still generally estimated that the DS business department would get half of the order. Considering that Samsung's DS business department has lost its primary supplier status for the first time in ten years, it will definitely be stressful. High-level products and first-time shipments will be mainly Micron, but the overall supply will still account for a higher proportion of the DS business department. At that time, the market estimates that the DS Business Department and Micron's installation ratio was 7:3 or up to 6:4, and it was the DS Business Department that occupied the bulk. However, the performance and yield of DS products did not meet the standards, and the direction was completely different from the estimate.
Although the supply ratio trend is clear, smartphone sales cycles usually last for two years and supply still change as Samsung will negotiate with suppliers to determine order volumes. Micron's current DRAM capacity is also limited, so it is especially important to negotiate in advance (such as purchase estimates) to ensure sufficient goods within time.
Samsung MX Business Department has begun testing Micron's LPDDR5X samples for Galaxy S26 series phones. Galaxy S26 series is expected to be launched in February 2026. This batch is the same as the LPDDR5X product that supplies the S25, but has made a small improvement in circuit line width, which is expected to increase the grain yield of a single wafer by about 15%. Regarding the changes in this supply chain, the report pointed out that people related to Samsung DS Business Department said they could not confirm the content related to their partners.