![[OC] This knockoff iPhone 12 Pro Max has what appears to be a thin lead bar under the battery.](https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/pictrs/image/aa64ca4a-364d-40c6-9844-3f5c8fea568e.jpeg){kind=link}
The metal is smooth, but not shiny. It is super bendable. As soon as I realized what it was, I stopped handling it and washed my hands.
Lead is heavy, but seems such an odd choice for a weight in a consumer device. It must have been cheaper or even free.
Lead is dense. It is an easy way to add weight in little space. Golfers use lead weight tape on golf clubs to make them heavier.