Analyst estimates predict a jump to $8.75 billion.

Remote working and TV-watching during the pandemic is seen fueling demand for chips and display panels, and offsetting weaker smartphone sales.

The South Korean firm has beaten market expectations for profit in the past three quarters.

Analysts said shipments of memory chips by Samsung may have risen around 10% from the previous three months.

Such semiconductors bring in around half of its profits.

The tech giant is also the world's largest maker of smartphones, which generate most of the rest of its profit.

Shipments fell by around one-fifth on the quarter - partly due to competition from Apple's new iPhone 12.

Demand for the 12, though, actually helped Samsung to some extent, as the company makes screens for it.

Samsung's display unit was also helped by a rise in LCD panel prices driven by TV and notebook demand.

Samsung is due to announce preliminary fourth quarter results on Friday (January 8).