Samsung just delivered its strongest quarterly performance ever, posting KRW 86.1 trillion in Q3 revenue - a stunning 15.4% jump from the previous quarter. The Korean tech giant's semiconductor division hit record highs on explosive AI chip demand, while its mobile business rode the Galaxy Z Fold7 launch to solid gains. This isn't just about one good quarter; it's Samsung positioning itself as the critical infrastructure play in the AI revolution that's reshaping tech.
Samsung just proved that being the picks-and-shovels provider in the AI gold rush pays off big time. The company's Q3 results, released today, show how the AI boom is creating massive opportunities for semiconductor manufacturers who can actually deliver the chips everyone desperately needs.
The numbers tell a compelling story. Samsung's Device Solutions division - which includes memory and semiconductors - posted KRW 33.1 trillion in revenue with KRW 7.0 trillion in operating profit. But here's the kicker: the Memory Business achieved record-high quarterly revenue by expanding HBM3E sales across all applications. According to Samsung's earnings report, HBM3E is now in mass production and being sold to all related customers, while HBM4 samples are simultaneously shipping to key clients.
This isn't just about one product line getting hot. Samsung's timing with high-bandwidth memory couldn't be better as AI training and inference workloads devour these specialized chips faster than manufacturers can produce them. The company's also seeing strong demand for server SSDs, 128GB DDR5 memory modules, and 24Gb GDDR7 - all the infrastructure components that power today's AI data centers.
Meanwhile, Samsung's mobile business found its groove with the Galaxy Z Fold7 launch driving the Device eXperience division to KRW 34.1 trillion in revenue. The foldable market might still be niche, but Samsung's betting heavily on form factor innovation as a way to differentiate its AI smartphone strategy heading into 2026.
The foundry business delivered another bright spot with record customer orders, mainly on advanced nodes. Samsung's ramping up mass production of 2nm Gate-All-Around products while preparing to begin operations at its Taylor, Texas fab. It's a massive infrastructure investment that positions Samsung to compete directly with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for the most advanced chip manufacturing.
But not everything's coming up roses. The Visual Display business posted an operating loss despite solid premium TV sales, getting squeezed by intensified competition. Samsung's display subsidiary fared better, with KRW 8.1 trillion in revenue driven by smartphone display demand and expanding gaming monitor sales.
