Samsung's HBM share jumps to 33% while its NAND share slips to 28%, as SanDisk loses ground to Chinese rivals

In the second quarter of 2026, Samsung and SK Hynix retained the top two spots in the global NAND market, but the two segments moved in opposite directions for Samsung. Its NAND share slipped to 28% from 29%, leaving the gap to SK Hynix unchanged, while its share of the AI-focused HBM segment jumped to 33% from 21% and cut SK Hynix's lead sharply. Meanwhile, SanDisk saw its NAND market share slip, particularly to Chinese competitors, raising questions about its competitive position.

Samsung and SK Hynix continued to dominate the global NAND landscape in Q2 2026, with both firms holding the first and second positions as NAND revenue surged 70% quarter over quarter on a 55% jump in contract prices. Samsung's NAND share, though, slipped to 28% from 29%, leaving its gap to SK Hynix essentially unchanged.

The rivalry extended into the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) arena, where Samsung's share climbed to 33% from 21% and cut SK Hynix's lead from 37 points to 17, marking a notable shift in the AI memory-chip segment. This momentum in AI-optimized memory underscores Samsung's strategic push into next-generation computing workloads.

Conversely, SanDisk faced headwinds, losing NAND market share to Chinese manufacturers, a trend highlighted in recent analyses that question the company's ability to keep pace with its rivals. The erosion of SanDisk's share reflects broader competitive pressures in the NAND sector, where scale and technology leadership are increasingly decisive.

Analysts will monitor whether Samsung can sustain its gains in both conventional NAND and AI-centric HBM markets, and how SanDisk plans to counteract its share decline. Continued shifts in market dynamics could reshape supplier relationships and pricing across the broader semiconductor ecosystem.

Samsung's HBM share jumps to 33% while its NAND share slips to 28%, as SanDisk loses ground to Chinese rivals

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