Samsung Electronics has successfully developed its sixth-generation DRAM, known as 1c DRAM, built using a 10nm class process. The product has received internal Production Readiness Approval (PRA), signaling it has met key quality and performance benchmarks and is now in the final phase before mass production. The milestone brings Samsung one step closer to its goal of mass-producing HBM4, or fourth-generation high-bandwidth memory, in the second half of 2025.
Despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and a seasonal slowdown after the second-quarter stockpiling, memory chip suppliers remain cautiously upbeat about growth heading into the third quarter of 2025. A worsening shortage of DDR4 modules has triggered a surge in rush orders from customers, with demand skyrocketing and prices for DDR4 now surpassing those of newer DDR5 products—a rare flip that's accelerating the industry's transition to next-gen memory. Analysts expect the supply crunch to persist through the end of the year.
China's annual 618 mid-year shopping festival — once a bellwether of consumer strength — wrapped up with mixed results this year, highlighting persistent weakness in domestic demand and mounting challenges for the memory and storage sectors.
