iPhone X was the best-selling smartphone in early 2018

While rumors of the next generation of iPhones continue to proliferate, it was Apple's current lineup, including the $1,000 iPhone X , that captured most of the attention this week. On Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple earned nearly $150 billion in revenue and $34 billion in earnings for the first half of the company's fiscal year.

There's simply no understating the importance of the iPhone in those results. Apple generates about two-thirds of its revenue -- and, most likely, much of its profits -- from the iPhone portfolio. The company sold 52.2 million of its phones in the first three months of 2018, and Cook noted that the iPhone X was Apple's best-selling device every week of the quarter.

Slump? LOL. The iPhone X was the world's best-selling smartphone in Q1

In fact, countering the predictions of many analysts, the iPhone X claimed the title of best-selling smartphone overall for the first quarter of 2018. Apple shipped 16 million iPhone X units between January and March, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics. Apple also nabbed the next two spots on the list with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which sold 12.5 million units and 8.3 million units, respectively.

In the weeks leading up to Apple's announcement, numerous analysts cut their earnings estimates, warning that it could mark the end of an era of staggering growth. They based their fears on results from Apple's component suppliers, including Samsung, which warned about weakness in the mobile market.

Read: When it comes to Apple's iPhone X sales, Wall Street got it wrong

iPhone shipments rise in down smartphone market

And as if that wasn't enough, Apple's share of the global smartphone market increased in the first quarter of 2018 in the midst of an overall downturn. Global shipments in the quarter fell 2 percent year over year to 345 million units, according to Strategy Analytics.

Samsung held on the smartphone sales crown by shipping 78.2 million units, a decline of 2 percent year over year, giving it a market share of 23 percent. Apple's second-place finish marked an increase of 3 percent, giving it a market share of 15 percent.

Apple to make just 8 million iPhone X units in Q2

Despite the success of its premium flagship, Apple plans to make only 8 million iPhone X units in its second quarter of the year, according to Fast Company. The article suggests that Apple's production cut is a response to lukewarm sales for its most expensive model ever, and that the company may focus on selling off an accumulated inventory of unsold iPhone X units.

In other news: UK iPhone users encounter battery replacement friction

Some folks in the UK are encountering requests for pricey repairs before they can get their cheap iPhone upgrades, reports the BBC.

In case you missed it: All of the rumors about the 2018 iPhones

Is that an iPhone 6 in your HTC teaser or...

Earlier this week HTC tweeted a teaser image promoting the May 23 launch of its upcoming flagship phone. The pic used in the tweet was a closeup of internal components along with the tagline, "A phone that is more than the sum of its specs."

The assumption by most was that what we were seeing was a tease of the inside of the new HTC phone. That, however, was not the case...

An iOS 11.3 PSA for the iPhone 7

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus look to have taken on an audio bug with iOS 11.3. Apparently, if you're in the middle of a call or FaceTime video on either phone and using the current version of iOS, there's a chance your mic will stop working. There's also the possibility that your speakerphone button will stop working too. 

Did the LG G7 copy the iPhone X notch?

The LG G7 ThinQ was fully unveiled earlier this week, notch and all. However, LG claimed it hasn't jumped on the iPhone X notch bandwagon and had actually decided to use the notch before Apple. How exactly it knows when Apple decided to use a notch is as yet unclear. 

Watch this: iPhone X sales defy rumors

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Apple is said to be tinkering with its 2018 iPhone lineup in an effort to goose adoption of the three models released in 2017 and three new ones reportedly coming later this year. And there's also buzz that the company may also release a sequel to its scrappy iPhone SE "budget" phone; here's everything we know so far about that. And make sure you catch up on every piece of iPhone news that dropped last week.