Samsung Officially Discontinues LPDDR4, LPDDR4x RAM Amid Surging Demand for AI Workloads

Highlights

• AI workloads are driving high global demand for faster memory
• Older LPDDR4 production lines may be repurposed for LPDDR5
• DRAM shortages in the memory market could persist for years

Samsung has discontinued two of its LPDDR4 series memory chips as it shifts focus towards newer and faster alternatives. In recent weeks, reports emerged that the South Korean tech conglomerate could cease manufacturing of the LPDDR4 and LPDDR4x RAM by the end of 2026, potentially resulting in all Samsung phones moving entirely to the LPDDR5 lineup. The move comes at a time when global demand for high-performance memory is rising sharply, driven by AI workloads and data centre expansion.

Samsung Isn't the Only Firm Prioritising HBM and Advanced Memory Production

The chipmaker has officially discontinued its LPDDR4 and LPDDR4x memory chips, according to listings on its semiconductor website (via SamMobile). Both product pages now carry a “This product has been discontinued” notice. These memory standards were first introduced in 2014, with the company debuting the 12GB LPDDR4 DRAM a year later. It was followed by LPDDR4x shortly after as an improved, more power-efficient variant.

Following this move, Samsung is expected to repurpose its production lines previously dedicated to these older memory technologies for manufacturing newer standards such as LPDDR5. As per the company, LPDDR5 offers significantly higher speeds and improved efficiency. In recent years, it has increasingly become the preferred choice for upper mid-range smartphones and tablets, while some entry-level devices still come equipped with LPDDR4 series memory.

While the tech giant has not detailed the reason behind its discontinuation, rumours suggest this transition could be driven by the rapid rise of AI workloads. These require faster memory and significantly higher bandwidth. The high-bandwidth memory (HBM), in particular, has seen a surge in demand as it plays a key role in powering AI accelerators and data centre infrastructure.

Consequently, chipmakers are prioritising HBM and advanced memory production for large-scale uses, which offer higher margins compared to conventional memory for consumer-centric devices. Reports also suggest that this has led to a shortage of supply in the memory market, and DRAM shortages could persist for several years.

To meet demands, Samsung is reportedly planning to add a fourth fabrication plant at its Pyeongtaek campus in South Korea this year, but it will not become fully operational until the end of 2027. The facility is also said to focus on building logic chips for computing, which can impact the total memory production. Apart from this, the tech giant is reportedly constructing a fifth fabrication plant, too, but it is said to be focused on HBM.