HBM4 mass production delayed as Nvidia pushes memory specs higher — production to come ‘no earlier’ than late Q126

HBM4 memory is now expected to reach volume production no earlier than the end of Q1 2026, according to a new report from TrendForce. The delay stems from two converging factors: Nvidia’s decision to revise its memory requirements upward for its next-gen Rubin GPU platform, and the company’s short-term strategy to aggressively extend shipments of its current Blackwell architecture. All three major HBM suppliers have been forced to redesign their HBM4 products to meet the new specifications, pushing mass manufacturing back by at least one quarter.

This shift keeps HBM3 and HBM3e as the prevailing standards across AI and high-performance GPU deployments through at least Q1 2026. Samsung may be first to qualify, given that it has reportedly passed Nvidia’s qualification tests, but SK hynix is still expected to maintain the majority share as the primary supplier to Nvidia. Micron, a more recent entrant in the HBM market, has already begun sampling 11 Gbps-class HBM4 parts, but is still building out volume readiness.