The end of an era: Samsung closes order window for old memory modules, industry accelerates shift to next-generation memory

Samsung Electronics has officially stopped accepting new orders for LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X mobile DRAM, marking the end-of-life stage for these mainstream memory products that have been in mass production for over a decade. Relevant production lines are expected to begin conversion in the first quarter of next year, as Samsung accelerates its migration to higher-performance processes.

It is reported that Samsung has recently accepted its final batch of orders and will only fulfill previously booked shipments moving forward. LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X are now officially classified as EOL (End of Life) products. Given the timing of the last batch of orders, production of these two products is expected to continue until the end of this year, with production line conversion set to begin in the first quarter of next year.

This discontinuation decision will directly affect Samsung’s own MX mobile business unit and chip clients such as Qualcomm—both of whom still use LPDDR4/4X in some chips. Customers who have completed inventory stocking will also need to revise their long-term procurement plans accordingly.

Production halt occurs later than expected, customer demand extends order window

LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X entered mass production about eight to ten years ago and have been mainstream memory solutions for consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. The LPDDR series features low voltage design, offering better power consumption compared to standard DRAM.

The industry generally believes that the ordering window lasted longer than expected due to continued strong demand from clients. While this allowed customers to secure sufficient memory supply, it also delayed Samsung’s initiation of production line conversion.

Performance gap emerges, downstream clients accelerate switch to LPDDR5

As LPDDR4X inventory gradually depletes, Samsung is expected to fully migrate to LPDDR5. There is a notable performance gap between the two generations: LPDDR5’s maximum transfer rate reaches 6.4 Gbps, about 50% faster than LPDDR4X’s limit of 4.3 Gbps.

This switch will result in visible performance differences for some products. For example, Samsung’s Exynos 1330 application processor supports both LPDDR4X and LPDDR5, which means that different production batches of the Galaxy A17 may have varying memory specifications.

Some clients are already accelerating the development of next-generation chips to coordinate with the depletion of LPDDR4/4X inventory. An industry insider commented, “We’ve stocked enough LPDDR DRAM for this year, but next-generation chips will be designed for the upgraded memory specifications.”

Automotive chip maker Telechips has also responded to client needs this year by adjusting chip design direction, switching supported specifications from LPDDR4/4X to LPDDR5/LPDDR5X. The company focuses on automotive semiconductor development in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) fields.

Production line conversion progresses in sync, Hwaseong factory accelerates focus on advanced processes

Samsung is currently advancing post-discontinuation facility conversions across multiple production lines, with the Hwaseong campus’s Line 12 being a key example. The company plans to end 2D NAND flash production on that line and convert it into an “End Fab” facility focused on 1c DRAM—specifically responsible for front-end metal interconnect and subsequent finishing procedures. Currently, 1c DRAM represents the most significant production bottleneck for Samsung.

The EOL decision for LPDDR4/4X is part of Samsung’s systemic strategic effort to optimize capacity structure and concentrate resources on advanced process technologies. For investors, the pace of production line conversion and downstream client migration will be key indicators when evaluating Samsung’s medium-term competitiveness in the memory business.

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