In fact, the Cosmic Orange isn't the only color affected by the issue. Some owners report the same decolorization issue with their Deep Blue iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max as well. The issue seems to begin on the camera island, but eventually spreads across the entire aluminum body, leaving only the matte glass in the middle unaffected. Some users, suggest that the issue is caused by the UV light outside.
I grew up in an era that didn't necessarily prioritize skincare...at least not those of us who grew up in the lakeside suburbs of Dallas, Texas, in the early '90s (I remember painting my initials on my body with sunscreen so the letters would show up bright white against my sunned skin). But my childhood of unprotected sun exposure went beyond the yard; my father was a Delta pilot, and I have spent a large chunk of my life in the air.