Samsung to shutter LPDDR4 memory production by the end of 2026

A report from South Korean media outlet The Elec states Samsung plans to end production of LPDDR4 memory modules later this year. It has started winding down production and has stopped taking fresh LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X orders. Existing LPDDR4/4X production lines may be upgraded to LPDDR5 to keep up with sky-high demand for low-power memory.

The closure of LPDDR4/4X production lines will be problematic for a wide range of OEMs. Qualcomm, MediaTek, and even Samsung Electronics use LPDDR4X modules on lower-end SoCs. Besides, they are also used in single-board computers, IoT devices, and cheap handheld gaming consoles, all of which will have to upgrade to LPDDR5 or look to alternate suppliers such as SK Hynix and Micron for their memory needs. T

hat said, the LPDDR4 standard has been around for about 10 years and has remained in use only because of high demand. Besides, now that LPDDR6 specs have been ratified by JEDEC, leading-edge products from the likes of Apple and Qualcomm will move over to the newer standard, effectively making LPDDR5 the go-to solution for non-flagship products.

CXMT could help fill the market void created by Samsung

Thankfully, Chinese memory makers like CXMT might step in as new suppliers for LPDDR4 memory. Another ETNews report states CXMT  has teamed up with Giga device, a fabless company, to provide LPDDR4X, DDR4 and even DDR3 memory to companies that still need them. 

With DDR5 RAM's skyrocketing demand, many consumers are looking at last-gen alternatives instead. AMD has taken it a step further by keeping the DDR4-based AM4 platform alive, and even plans to relaunch the iconic Ryzen 7 5800X3D on its tenth anniversary.