Samsung posts 6.6 trillion won operating profit in Q1

Samsung Electronics has recorded operating profits in the 6 trillion Korean won range for the first quarter of 2025, surpassing market expectations. The company’s Mobile eXperience (MX) division, responsible for launching new smartphone series, is believed to have contributed around 60% of the total operating profit, lifting overall performance. Rising demand for general-purpose semiconductors, widely used in PCs and smartphones, also supported earnings growth.

On April 8, the company announced that its consolidated estimated operating profit for the first quarter of this year reached 6.6 trillion won. While this marks a slight year-on-year decline of 0.15%, it represents a 1.69% increase from the previous quarter, ending a two-quarter streak of negative growth since the third quarter of last year.

Market consensus, compiled by financial data provider FnGuide, had projected Samsung’s Q1 operating profit at 4.96 trillion won. The actual figure outperformed expectations by nearly 33%. Despite earlier concerns over delayed shipments of fifth-generation HBM and intensifying competition with Chinese companies in the TV and home appliances market, Samsung delivered solid results.

While the company did not disclose unit-by-unit performance in this announcement, analysts estimate that the MX division alone posted an operating profit of around 4 trillion won. The Galaxy S25 series, launched in February, saw strong demand, setting a domestic record by surpassing 1 million units sold in just 21 days — the fastest milestone yet for the Galaxy lineup.


한재희기자 hee@donga.com