Samsung lost its top position in its DRAM business in Q1 2025 for the first time. But soon, its business may get back on track and maintain the lead in this space again. The company recently secured a major deal with Apple, becoming the primary supplier of 12GB RAM for the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models. It’s a great opportunity for Samsung to regain the edge in the competitive DRAM market.
Apple is gearing up to launch its iPhone 17 lineup around the second week of September 2025. The lineup will include iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a new slim model, iPhone 17 Air. But for the first time, the Cupertino giant plans to include 12GB RAM in its Pro models. This increase in RAM is likely due to Apple’s focus on AI.
Samsung secures 70% of iPhone 17 Pro 12GB RAM orders
Apple is reportedly in talks with several memory manufacturers to expand DRAM capacity. According to a report from Korean media outlet ETNews, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron will be the suppliers of 12GB RAM for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
The report further says that Samsung will supply 70% of the total RAM, making the Korean firm a key supplier of 12GB RAM. Industry analysts expect around 100 million units of the new iPhone to be sold in the first year after its release. If this happens, Samsung will supply RAM for roughly 70 million units — a huge number for the company.
Meanwhile, SK Hynix and Micron will supply the remaining 30% of the demand. The publication also says that Samsung will team up with Samsung Electro-Mechanics, SK Hynix with LG Innotek, and Micron with Japan’s Shinko to produce 12GB RAM for Apple.
As OEMs are now integrating AI models into their devices, memory capacity requirements have also increased, leading to the market’s expansion. “As the number of AI phones requiring large-capacity memory increases, the profitability of the memory industry will increase. The average selling price of 12GB RAM is about 50% higher than that of 8GB RAM,” an industry insider told the publication.
