Samsung had a tough time clearing NVIDIA’s quality bar with its HBM3E chips, which gave its cross-town rival SK Hynix the ability to emerge as the largest high-bandwidth memory supplier to the world’s top AI accelerator company.

The company has spent the better part of this year focusing on improving the competitiveness of its next-generation HBM4 chips, and that focus seems to be paying dividends.

A major order may be on the horizon

Korean media is reporting that Samsung’s next-generation high-bandwidth HBM4 memory has passed NVIDIA’s qualification tests with flying colors. It’s further added that these chips have received the highest evaluation scores in the tests for NVIDIA’s upcoming AI accelerator that’s due to be launched in 2026.

A team from NVIDIA reportedly visited Samsung Electronics last week to review the testing progress for HBM4. It was reported during the meeting that Samsung’s HBM4 chips have achieved the best results among all memory makers in the crucial segments of both operating speed and power efficiency.

The test results have raised expectations that Samsung will clear the quality verification for HBM4 easily and will be able to supply the chip to NVIDIA in the first half of next year. It’s also claimed that NVIDIA’s requested supply from Samsung will likely be higher than Samsung’s internal projections, which will go a long way in improving the company’s earnings next year.

While the companies involved rarely comment on these matters, the report mentions that Samsung is expected to formally sign a supply contract with NVIDIA for HBM4 chips in the first quarter of 2026.

Adnan Farooqui - Executive Editor

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** First Samsung device: SGH-E900

Adnan Farooqui is a long-term writer at SamMobile. Based in Pakistan, his interests include technology, finance, Swiss watches and Formula 1. His tendency to write long posts betrays his inclination to being a man of few words.