Samsung Electronics is conducting price negotiations for Q3 2026 general-purpose DRAM. According to South Korean media outlet Korea ZDNET, citing industry sources, the company aims to increase the average selling price (ASP) of general-purpose DRAM by up to 20% quarter-on-quarter; for LPDDR, due to "severe bottlenecks" in both server and mobile sectors, the target increase exceeds 20%.
Samsung's Q3 Price Negotiation Targets: General-Purpose ASP Up to 20%, LPDDR Over 20%
According to Korea ZDNET citing industry sources, Samsung is taking a tough stance in Q3 price negotiations. The target for general-purpose DRAM ASP is a quarter-on-quarter increase of up to 20%; for LPDDR (low-power double data rate memory), due to simultaneous "severe bottlenecks" in servers and mobile devices, the target increase exceeds 20%. Comparison of Samsung's previous two quarters' increases: Q1 DRAM ASP rose about 90% quarter-on-quarter, Q2 rose about 50% to 60%.
Industry sources assess that Samsung's leading global market share in general-purpose DRAM gives it stronger pricing power, and since general-purpose DRAM accounts for a higher proportion of Samsung's total output, this is the main reason its price increase is more pronounced than SK Hynix's.
Industry sources also noted that end manufacturers may still use reduced order volumes or switching to other suppliers as bargaining chips, so the final Q3 price increase remains to be seen.
UBS Raises Memory Price Forecasts: Q3/Q4 DRAM and NAND Projections
According to the latest report from UBS, DRAM and NAND price forecasts are as follows:
DRAM Q3 Price: Up 32% QoQ (significantly higher than market consensus)
DRAM Q4 Price: Up 18% QoQ
NAND Q3 Price: Up 30% QoQ
NAND Q4 Price: Up 12% QoQ
UBS's forecasts are far above the market consensus, reflecting Wall Street's highly optimistic stance on the AI-driven memory supercycle. The above are UBS analysts' personal forecasts and do not constitute investment advice; actual prices are subject to official announcements from manufacturers and industry data.
Reasons for SK Hynix's Stable Pricing: HBM Long-Term Contracts and Upcoming US Listing
SK Hynix's Q3 pricing trend is relatively stable, mainly because its higher proportion of AI high-bandwidth memory (HBM) business relies on long-term agreements (LTAs), which lock in prices and are less susceptible to short-term market fluctuations. SK Hynix is preparing for a $29 billion US IPO on Nasdaq, and the market expects its capital expansion capabilities to further widen the gap with Samsung in the HBM sector.
In contrast, Samsung has a higher proportion of general-purpose DRAM business, which is more affected by spot price volatility, making it more aggressive in Q3 price increase negotiations.
FAQ
What is the latest progress in Samsung's Q3 DRAM price increase negotiations? Has the final increase been determined?
According to Korea ZDNET citing industry sources, Samsung's Q3 general-purpose DRAM price increase target is up to 20%, and LPDDR over 20%; however, the industry also points out that end manufacturers may use reduced order volumes or switching to other suppliers as bargaining chips, so the final Q3 transaction increase remains to be determined. Specific transaction figures are subject to official financial reports from manufacturers.
How much higher are UBS's DRAM and NAND price forecasts compared to market consensus?
According to reports, UBS forecasts DRAM Q3 up 32% QoQ, Q4 up 18% QoQ, and NAND Q3 up 30% QoQ, Q4 up 12% QoQ; the report states these forecasts are "far above market consensus," but does not disclose the specific consensus figure. The above are UBS analysts' personal forecasts and are subject to official market research report updates.
Why is the supply of traditional DRAM from the three major memory manufacturers continuing to tighten?
According to reports, the three major memory manufacturers (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron) have shifted approximately 93% of their production capacity to HBM production; producing 1 bit of HBM consumes about three times the wafer capacity compared to DDR5, thus significantly crowding out traditional DRAM supply. New wafer capacity is not expected to ramp up until at least 2027, making the supply tightening structure difficult to alleviate quickly in the short term.
