Samsung semiconductor business achieved record quarterly results in the first quarter of 2026, with Samsung Electronics posting revenue of KRW133.9 trillion, equivalent to $90.1 billion, representing a 69 percent increase year-on-year. Operating profit surged 756 percent to KRW57.2 trillion, while net profit climbed from KRW8.2 trillion to KRW47.2 trillion, driven by global artificial intelligence infrastructure expansion.
The South Korean vendor’s strong performance reflected momentum throughout the company due to continued global AI infrastructure investment.
Device Solutions Outperformance
Samsung’s Device Solutions chip unit delivered exceptional results, with revenue jumping 225 percent to KRW81.7 trillion and operating profit of KRW53.7 trillion, up 52.6 percent. The division benefited from strong demand for artificial intelligence technology innovations paired with proactive market response strategies.
Memory sales rose 292 percent to KRW74.6 trillion, surpassing the previous quarterly record. High-value-added AI demand supported this growth despite constrained supply availability. Industry-wide memory price increases also contributed to the overall performance.
Consumer Electronics Division
Samsung’s Device eXperience division, which covers smartphones and consumer electronics, posted revenue of KRW52.7 trillion, up 2 percent compared to the prior year. This more modest growth reflected the strong performance concentrated in the semiconductor segment.
2026 Outlook for Samsung Semiconductor Business
Samsung said the company expects its memory business to maintain robust demand in the current quarter due to AI infrastructure expansion. The firm plans to capitalize on early demand for new processors to be launched in the second half of 2026.
Server memory demand is anticipated to remain strong in the latter half of the year as hyperscale companies accommodate increasing adoption of artificial intelligence and large language models by enterprises. The company will continue its AI product-focused sales strategy for both DRAM and NAND memory chips.
Additionally, momentum in agentic AI deployment is expected to sustain demand for high-performance computing solutions. Samsung’s ability to meet this demand positions the company to capture further market share in the competitive semiconductor sector.
