Samsung’s Q4 2025 Profits May Top KRW 20 Trillion, Far Above Estimates

Samsung is heading toward a much stronger finish to 2025 than markets initially expected. According to industry sources, the company’s internal estimates for the fourth quarter (Q4) point to an operating profit exceeding KRW 20 trillion, over $14 billion at current exchange rates. That figure is roughly 30 percent higher than the average analyst consensus.

Samsung may make big profits in Q4 2025, but not because of Galaxy phones

When Samsung reports surging profits, many assume its Galaxy smartphones are driving the gains. That isn’t the full picture. While Galaxy devices continue to sell well globally, Samsung’s biggest profit engine has long been its memory chip division. When memory demand weakened, profits fell. Now, that trend has clearly reversed.

The primary driver behind the profit jump is a surge in sales and prices of HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) and other advanced semiconductor products used in AI servers and data centers. As global demand for generative AI and large-scale computing infrastructure continues to accelerate, memory suppliers capable of delivering next-generation solutions are seeing outsized gains.

Samsung has benefited significantly from rising prices across both its DRAM and NAND portfolios. Server-grade DRAM, in particular, has reportedly seen strong and sustained orders. At the same time, Samsung’s push into next-generation HBM variants has helped it secure larger and longer-term contracts with key customers in the AI ecosystem.

Beyond memory, Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) Division is also seeing support from its foundry business. Samsung Foundry is producing the 2nm Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy S26 series and is attracting big clients for its advanced processes.

Of course, Samsung hasn’t officially announced its Q4 2025 earnings yet, so we don’t know accurate figures. But if rumored figures are accurate, we are looking at a 3X or higher year-on-year jump in Q4 profits. The company made KRW 6.5 trillion in the year-ending quarter of 2024. Samsung will release its preliminary Q4 2025 results in early January, with full financial details to follow later.