While the smaller size is nice; if you're like me and largely see the iPad as a redundant product then the larger size becomes necessary.
Tbh... There's no reason to have an iPhone and iPad, ESPECIALLY if you have the Max sized iPhone.
Yeah well opinions are like... well you know. Like @Ralfi said, I like having a more pocketable phone when I'm out and about. When I'm home I mostly use my iPad. So yeah, there's a reason to have both.
I love the screen size of the Max versions, and the battery life is outstanding as well, but my biggest gripe is the weight. Usually off duty, I wear a lot of athletic shorts, and even sweatpants, and having a heavy phone flopping around gets old.I've had a couple of short stints with plus sized devices and have never been able to stick with it. The X/XS/Pro size is just a sweet spot and hopefully the rumors fall through and we can continue on this form factor.
As far as the installation being rough, if you've ever watched a teardown of these devices you'll see that everything is packed together pretty tightly. I'd say the only thing you have to worry about is the glass. They'd have to be smashing it about pretty recklessly to damage or dislodge anything internally.
As far as the screen protector install, I was shocked how hard that guy was using that squeegee. The look on that lady's face was priceless too. I'm never that rough on my phone, and I guess it's a testament to what these phones can withstand if that's the norm.