People are taking chances with naked iPhone XS Max cover glass (poll results)
Now, whether this is hubris or simply cold calculations that replacing the back is more expensive than replacing the front, those folks aren't keen on spending extra $10-$50 for what should already be Apple's "most durable" glass material. A much larger chink - 58% - are going with the gold standard in screen protection, applying a tempered glass one on top of the 6.5" XS Max display. Just 9% slapped a regular film protector on their expensive gadget and said: "that'll do it."
And it probably will, since it will at least protect against scratches, while there is no guarantee that even the toughest screen protector will shatter first when the phone hits the pavement from ungodly heights. Replacing a broken screen on your new iPhone XS and XS Max will set you back $279 and $329, respectively, but a shattered rear is going to ultimately cost you $599 on the 6.5-incher.
These tags are now more than what Apple used to charge for replacing the screens on its previous iPhones, even the X that also carries an OLED display, so if you know you can't be bothered caring for your phone, better slap a screen protector, be it glass or simply film.
Things that are NOT allowed: