Samsung Electronics reported an all-time quarterly high revenue of KRW 79.14 trillion ($55.2 billion) for the first quarter ended March 31, driven by robust Galaxy S25 smartphone sales and high-value-added products. Operating profit reached KRW 6.7 trillion ($4.7 billion), slightly higher than the KRW 6.61 trillion earned in the same period last year.
The Mobile Experience division emerged as the company’s strongest performer, generating KRW 37 trillion in revenue and KRW 4.3 trillion in operating profit. The flagship Galaxy S25 series with advanced AI features contributed significantly to the division’s double-digit profitability despite seasonal weakness in the broader smartphone market.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s semiconductor unit posted KRW 25.1 trillion in revenue but just KRW 1.1 trillion in operating profit, as it faced challenges from eroding memory chip prices and decreased demand for high-bandwidth memory due to export controls on AI chips.
The company ramped up its R&D expenditure by 16% year-over-year to KRW 9 trillion, its highest-ever quarterly R&D investment, signaling a strategic pivot toward AI-related technologies across its portfolio.
“Despite growing macroeconomic uncertainties due to global trade tensions and slowing economic growth, the company will continue to make various efforts to secure growth,” Samsung stated in its earnings report.
Samsung’s Display unit and Visual Display businesses contributed KRW 5.9 trillion and KRW 14.5 trillion in revenue respectively, with the latter seeing improved profitability from premium TV sales.
Looking ahead, Samsung expects robust demand for AI servers and plans to strengthen its position in high-value-added markets while expanding AI features across its product lineup. The tech giant anticipates performance improvements in the second half of 2025 if current market uncertainties diminish.
