Just today I winced when I saw a woman at the supermarket, in the queue in front of me, drop her (seemingly new) white X or XS phone. Landed face down, all cracked up on back and her face was like that Edvard Munch painting lol.
if i go to clubs then i toss a case [usually heavy duty] cos you never know what drunken idiot will accidentally knock you sideways while you're using your phone.
given the iPhone XS max has the sticky and reassuring stainless steel edges i can see some going caseless [plus applecare] but i dont so i need some protection at least.
even my previous iPhone 7 Plus was in pristine condition after 2 years, thanks to a case
Wife and I came to the conclusion that this works much better without the + and MAX phones. We both tried flipping our MAX phones and ... both did what Joe did initially - THUD - right on the desk. lol.