Memory Price Spike Threatens Samsung’s Mobile Division With Possible First Quarterly Loss

Overview

• Securities analysts have told industry sites that Samsung’s mobile unit, Samsung MX, could swing from a small profit to a multi-trillion-won loss for Q2 2026, a range that would include the company’s first-ever quarterly loss if it occurs.
• Analysts attribute the risk to a sharp rise in memory-chip prices that they say increased RAM’s share of an $800 phone’s bill of materials from about 14% to roughly 23% and pushed NAND to as much as 15%.
• Samsung Electronics is still forecasting record overall second-quarter profits, which highlights a divergence between strong memory-division revenue at the corporate level and pressure on handset margins.
• Samsung is reported to be shifting supply chains and its product mix to limit exposure, including using Qualcomm Snapdragon chips in some markets, Exynos 2600 in others, and expanding its foldable lineup from two models to three.
• The current outlook is based on analyst estimates and industry reporting rather than final company filings, so results remain uncertain and could affect phone pricing, future product strategy, and margins across the wider smartphone industry.