Global DRAM revenue exploded 369% year-over-year in Q3 2026, driven by soaring demand for AI accelerators and data center expansion. The Average Selling Price (ASP) climbed to $1.9 per gigabit. South Korea dominates the market, with Samsung holding 38% share and SK hynix at 29%. SK hynix revenue grew over 40% quarter-on-quarter, while Micron holds 21% and China's CXMT 9%. However, CXMT lost one percentage point compared to Q2 2026.
Counterpoint Research warns of tightening supply. SK hynix leads HBM3E but faces challenges as the industry shifts to HBM4, where Samsung leads. CXMT plans HBM3E mass production next year but remains behind. Agentic AI demand is fueling a 500% increase in DDR and 400% in LPDDR year-over-year. CXMT was the first to mass produce LPDDR6, now used in Xiaomi 18 Fold units. HBM revenue nearly doubled yearly, though DDR/LPDDR growth outpaces it.
Price increases are slowing but remain high. Long-term agreements support prices, and supply will stay tight as new fabs won't start until 2028. Counterpoint Research Director MS Hwang warns memory prices will stay strong next year as HBM prices catch up to commodity DRAM levels.
Source: GSMArena · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing