Where did you get that information?

Are you facing this issue with both Wi-Fi and with your carrier data?

Yes, Apple is only working on damage control and the users who have paid so much money for the products have to only deal with their mediocrity and just compromise and express their frustration on online forums.

Just update the ios to 17.1.1 and you should be good to go.

Your post was very clear.

Your iPhone is 256gb

Your storage for photos alone is showing more than 300gb

You have asked how this is possible, which is absolutely correct.

People just want to be smart assess and shit on people because they feel they are better than others.

Ignore them buddy.

Also, try to transfer all your photos to you computer or laptop and try resetting your phone.

When did you purchase your phone and did you purchase it from the Apple Store or elsewhere?

The reason being, if you are within the 14 day period, you can just get it exchanged.

You have spent a lot of money. Spending 6 to 7 hours may seem worth it.

20% of the people here do it. That is not a small chunk of the pie.

There is something to how the phone feels different after doing a soft reset.

It feels snappier, lesser frame drops, better internet speed, etc.