The Mate 20X is only marginally / barely bigger than the Mi Max 3 if you (unfairly?) don't count the screen estate that is horizontally right next to the camera notch.
It felt more like to me that the Mi Max has much more of a cult following due to the budget pricing while also not being the first of its product line.
I'd imagine many of those who care about the giant real estate don't care too much about having the "latest and greatest" flagship cameras and CPU.
It's also much easier for me to recommend the phone to other people that have doubts about the form factor to start with something albeit more budget too. 😀
Huawei's Mate 20X from 2018 was well-loved. Nubia's latest device, the Neo 5 Max, is a throwback of sorts, with its massive 7.5-inch display ensuring it launches as the largest globally available smartphone—it could appeal to the crowd that loved the Mate 20X all those years ago.