Tamannaah Bhatia has addressed recent reports linking her to a cryptocurrency scam. She firmly denied any involvement in the alleged Rs 2.4 crore fraud. The actress has made it clear that she has no connection to the scam and intends to take legal action against the spread of such misinformation.
In a statement, Tamannaah strongly refuted the claims, urging both the public and media to refrain from circulating baseless rumours. She said, "It has come to my attention that rumours are being circulated alleging my involvement and dealing with cryptocurrency. I'd like to request my friends in media not to circulate any such fake, misleading, and false reports and rumours. In the meantime, my team is looking into the same to initiate appropriate action."
The actress also expressed her disappointment over the false allegations.
On Saturday, rumours surfaced stating that both Tamannaah Bhatia and Kajal Aggarwal might be summoned by the Puducherry police for questioning in connection with the cryptocurrency scam.
On the professional front, Tamannaah was last seen in Sikandar Ka Muqqadar, alongside Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Sheirgill. She will soon appear in Odela 2, a horror-thriller film.
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You actor Penn Badgley and his wife Domino Kirke are expecting twins. The couple shared exciting news on Friday.
Domino shared a heartwarming photo booth picture on Instagram, featuring Penn, their 4-year-old son, and her baby bump. A second photo in the post showed a blurry red, heart-shaped cake with the words "marry me over & over" written on it.
Alongside the picture, she wrote, "Babies #3 and #4 coming this Summer! Talk about a PLOT TWIST! Spontaneous twins are beyond magical. We are stunned. We are in awe."
She added a sweet message: "Can't think of anyone else I'd rather be on this ride with @pennbadgley #handsoffthewheel #monoditwins."
The announcement was met with a flood of congratulatory messages from friends and fans, including from Madeline Brewer, Badgley's co-host on the "Podcrushed" podcast, Nava Kavelin, and many others.
The couple, who married in 2017, welcomed their first child together, a son, in August 2020. Kirke also has a teenage son, Cassius, from a previous relationship.
On a recent episode of the New York Times' Modern Love podcast, Penn discussed his experience with parenting, reflecting on the different roles he plays with his son and stepson.
"My stepson's father is very much in his life, so his father is his father, and I'm something else," Badgley explained. He went on to share that his parenting style varies between his two children due to their age difference, emphasising how he will need to show more vulnerability to his younger son as he gets older.
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Xiaomi 15 Ultra was launched in China on Thursday (February 27), joining the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro in the company's flagship smartphone lineup. It arrives ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona as the successor to last year's Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, like the other phones in the Xiaomi 14 series, is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC and ships with the new HyperOS 2user interface.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Price
Xiaomi 15 Ultra price starts at CNY 6,499 (roughly Rs. 78,000) for the 12GB + 256GB storage configuration, while the 16GB + 512GB and 16GB + 1TB variants are priced at CNY 6,999 (roughly Rs. 84,000) and CNY 7,799 (roughly Rs. 93,000), respectively.
The phone is offered in multiple colourways — classic black and silver, pine and cypress green, black, and white. Along with the handset, Xiaomi also offers a Professional imaging kit as an accessory which retails for CNY 999 (roughly Rs. 12,000).
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Specifications
The dual SIM (Nano) Xiaomi 15 Ultra runs on the company's Android 15-based HyperOS 2 operating system (OS). It sports a 6.73-inch (1440 x 3200 pixels) LTPO AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,200 nits peak brightness. The panel is claimed to offer a 300Hz touch sampling rate and support for HDR 10+ as well as Dolby Vision.
It is powered by Qualcomm's flagship octa-core 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset having a maximum clock speed of 4.32GHz under the hood, paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage, and Adreno 830 GPU.
For optics, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is equipped with a quad rear camera system placed within a centred, circular module. It comprises a 1-inch 50-megapixel Sony LYT900 primary sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a fixed f/1.63 aperture, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 sensor with f/1.8 aperture, 3x optical zoom, and 75mm focal length, a 200-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HP9 telephoto sensor with 100mm focal length, and f/2.6 aperture, and a 50-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture and 115-degree field-of-view (FoV). The phone is capable of recording videos in up to 8K/30fps or 4K/60fps. It also gets a 32-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture for selfies and video calls.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra packs a 6,000mAh battery with 90W (wired) and 80W (wireless) fast charging. It also supports reverse wireless charging. Connectivity options on the smartphone include 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC, and USB Type-C. For security, it is equipped with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. The handset also has an IP68 rating for dust and splash resistance.
In terms of dimensions, the black and white variants of the phone measure 161.3mm x 75.3mm x 9.35mm and weigh 226g. Meanwhile, its other variants have an increased 9.48mm thickness and 229g weight.
A taut and tense thriller, Crazxy, produced by and starring Sohum Shah, whose choices as an actor have never been conventional, upends genre norms to deliver a 93-minute adrenaline rush that until it ends up in a small puddle of avoidable mush is absolutely riveting fare. Coming to think of it, even the somewhat mawkish conclusion is not wholly out of place in a drama that blends the emotional with the visceral.
Crazxy wastes nary a scene in its sustained bid to generate intrigue and suspense centred on the conversations and choices of the protagonist, a successful surgeon with a volatile past making his way through a day on which everything that can go wrong goes horribly wrong.
The film rests on a virtuoso solo act that sees Sohum Shah in the guise of a Delhi doctor pulled into a heart-pounding race against time to save his kidnapped daughter, a girl he heartlessly abandoned due to no fault of hers.
The directorial debut of screenwriter Girish Kohli (Mom, Kesari), Crazxy has Shah and a Range Rover in virtually every single frame. The character is always in the driver's seat but he is never in control of the ride up ahead. Like him, the audience is kept guessing although not every reveal that the film springs upon us is a surprise.
All the conversations that the protagonist, Dr Abhimanyu Sood, has are with disembodied voices emanating from his phone. With each call that he receives and with every exchange that he has, it becomes clear that the medicine man could himself do with some healing.
Crazxy uses the voices of Nimisha Sajayan as Abhimanyu's ex-wife, Shilpa Shukla as his lover, Tinnu Anand as the kidnapper and Piyush Mishra as his boss - none of them appears on screen except in the form of images on the protagonist's phone - to help the audience understand how the doctor's mind works.
The gripping thrill-a-minute affair is also an intense character study focused on a once-respected professional who has come a cropper in every test that he has faced as a family man.
A terrible father, a failed husband and a flawed lover whose reputation as a surgeon, too, is now under a dark cloud following a death due to medical negligence, Abhimanyu has decided to pay his way out of legal trouble.
That is the point at which Crazxy begins. Abhimanyu places a duffle bag containing 50 million rupees in the boot of his off-roader and drives out of a parking lot even as a stern, coarse voice on his phone orders him to hasten matters.
The first thing that Abhimanyu encounters as he hits the road is an errant motorcycle rider, who crosses his path only to instantly face the consequences of the reckless act. It is made clear at the very outset that this doctor is under a great deal of stress and isn't an easy man to deal with.
Crazxy tells the story of a tumultuous day in the life of a conflicted individual, using methods that are anything but routine. Abhimanyu receives a call from a mysterious man demanding ransom for his kidnapped daughter, Vedica, a girl with Down Syndrome deprived of her father's love.
He has only one hour until sunset to buy the teenage girl's freedom although he has no idea where she is held captive. It is April Fools' Day and Abhimanyu initially wonders if he is being pranked. At one point, he asks the kidnapper, a voice he is sure he has heard before but cannot quite place, which radio station he is calling from. The man at the other end of the line is in no mood to relent.
As Abhimanyu keeps driving, other voices pop up on his phone, those of his ex-wife, his current lover and his boss. Tension mounts. He is faced with a difficult choice: with the money he has, he can either save his own skin or rescue his daughter from the clutches of the kidnapper.
His estranged wife makes hapless pleas for help. His lover makes things more difficult for him than they already are. As the situation begins to slip out of his control, will he or will he not put his daughter before his own self and do what a good father must in a crisis? That is what Crazxy is going to reveal in the next hour and a bit but without resorting to any extraneous narrative means.
The film, well into its second half, stages a protracted and disquieting sequence in which the doctor, forced to multitask, changes a flat type in the middle of nowhere while he is on a video call guiding a junior performing a critical surgery and, on the phone, advising the alarmed kidnapper on ways to sedate Vedica.
It is a wafer-thin plot about a man presented with an opportunity to redeem himself in a life-and-death situation. As he drives into the wilderness, he is left to fend for himself and confront the repercussions of the choices that he has made in life. Questions swirl around him and there are no easy answers.
Crazxy is another feather in Sohum Shah's cap. To deliver a performance that holds the audience's attention for 90 minutes in a film that shuns gimmicky diversions could not have been easy. He pulls it off with aplomb.
The role demands great physicality - the character not only breaks a sweat on more than one occasion but also breaks a bone - but its emotional core is just as crucial. Shah strikes a remarkable balance.
First-time director Girish Kohli demonstrates commendable grasp on the medium in a film that freely experiments with the technical tools at its disposal. Directors of photography Sunil Ramkrishna Borkar and Kuldeep Mamania impart to the film all the visual energy that the ride demands.
Also notable is the manner in which the voice performances are integrated into the design of a film enhanced by Jesper Kyd's background score and the use of retro songs - Laxmikant Pyarelal's Abhimanyu chakravyuh mein phans gaya hai tu (from Inquilab, with Kishore Kumar's vocals kept intact) and Vishal Bhardwaj's Goli maar bheje mein (a rejigged version of the Satya song).
Crazxy isn't an average crowd-pleaser. It dares to be different and sticks to its guns. That is where the appeal of the film lies.
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Gauri Khan launched a new store in Hyderabad in collaboration with the Charcoal project and it was a star-studded affair. Gauri Khan's famous girl gang comprising Maheep Kapoor, Seema Sajdeh, Neelam Kothari and Bhavana Pandey were in attendance. Sussanne Khan, who is a part of Charcoal project, also attended the event. Zoya Akhtar, designer Vikram Phadnis, stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania added glitz to the event.
Gauri Khan's mother Savita Chhibber and her friends Shalini Passi, Nandita Mahtani, Deanne Pandey also arrived to cheer for her. Gauri Khan looked every bit the boss in a black pantsuit.
Anaita Shroff Adajania also gave a tour of the new store in her Instagram post. She shared a few pictures from the starry evening. One of the clicks also features Hrithik Roshan. Cheering for friends Sussanne Khan and Gauri Khan, Anaita wrote, "Congratulations, darling @suzkr , on your fabulous store @thecharcoalproject in Hyderabad!
Five floors of design-and, of course, you at the heart of it all. A special shoutout to @gaurikhan for her floor-pure indulgence! Love that you incredible women are celebrating great design with such flair.
Thanks @suzkr for your warmth and care in looking after us! And to the amazing gang from last night-what a time! Cheers to all the fun, laughter, and style!
A montage of the eve! Then slide to see.. Pic before the event. At the event. And on our way home!" Take a look:
Gauri Khan is an interior decorator and she owns the plush Gauri Khan Designs in Mumbai. She has given makeovers to several suburban Mumbai restaurants and celebrity homes over the years. She has decorated homes for several Bollywood A-listers. She has decorated homes for stars such as Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar, Malaika Arora, Ananya Panday, among many others.
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Actress Shruti Haasan's Hollywood debut film The Eye is set to have its India premiere at Wench Fim Festival here. Directed by Daphne Schmon, the film will have its India premiere as the opening feature of the 5th Wench Film Festival set to take place from February 27 to March 2.
The film festival is dedicated to horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films.
As per the press note, The Eye tells the haunting story of Diana (played by Shruti Haasan), who journeys to the remote island where her husband Felix (Mark Rowley) drowns... However, her grief soon turns to intrigue when she learns of the mysterious 'Evil Eye' ritual--an ancient practice that might bring Felix back but demands a dark and unsettling sacrifice.
The film was shot on location in Athens and Corfu. Following its initial screening at the London Independent Film Festival, and at the Greek International Film Festival, The Eye continues to generate excitement among global audiences.
Speaking on the eve of the Indian premiere of her film, Shruti Haasan shared her excitement and said,
"Psychological thrillers have always been a genre that fascinates me. To be part of a story that dives deep into human emotions, grief, and the supernatural is incredibly exciting. Besides the fact that the film has a riveting storyline and top-notch production quality, what makes this project even more special is that it was created under an all-women-led production house, which aligns with my passion for supporting women in the film industry. Furthermore, this film champions a sustainable way of filmmaking, something that the world desperately needs. If we want to continue telling our stories, we must be able to tell them in a manner that is conscious of our impact."
Talking about The Eye, director Daphne Schmon said,
"The Eye is both a love letter to Corfu, the island where my family is from and an exploration of the dark psychological impulses surrounding grief. The story demanded an actor who could embody its emotional depth and complexity, and Shruti Haasan was the perfect fit. Her ability to navigate Diana's grief, paranoia, and resilience with such authenticity is truly remarkable. It was only an artist of Shruti's calibre who could do justice to this role, and she has delivered a stellar performance that will leave a lasting impact."
The film is produced by Fingerprint Content.
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Adobe Photoshop app was launched on Tuesday for iPhone users globally, years after its iPad counterpart was introduced. It takes some of the most nifty editing features provided by the US-based software company in its desktop application and brings them to its iOS app, enabling a mobile editing experience. Users can take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) features such as Generative Fill and Generative Expand which leverage Adobe's Firefly AI model to add and remove content from photos or expand them using simple text prompts.
The new Photoshop app for iPhone also adds core editing and imaging tools such as layering, masking, and access to Adobe assets, although several of them will require a Premium subscription.
Adobe Photoshop App for iPhone: Availability, Price
The Adobe Photoshop app is available for iPhone on the App Store as a free download. The company says its Android counterpart will be coming soon. Although it is free-to-use, several of its features are locked behind the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.
Its price in India starts at Rs. 799 per month or Rs. 6,900 per year for the new Photoshop Mobile and Web plan. It offers features such as Magic Wand, Generative Fill and Expand, Object Select, Content-Aware Fill, and Advanced blend modes.
Adobe Photoshop App for iOS Features
As per the company, the new Adobe Photoshop app for iOS has an easy-to-use mobile interface which allows creators to make edits on-the-go. Similar to its desktop counterpart, the mobile app brings tools for image editing and designing, enabling precise selections, targeted adjustments, and advanced colour corrections. With the free plan, users get 5GB of cloud storage to store their edits.
Leveraging selections, layers and masks, users can combine, composite and blend images to create unique designs. Tools like Spot Healing Brush help remove distracting elements while the Tap Select tool can remove, replace, or re-colour parts of an image. Despite being a free-to-use app, Adobe has brought its AI-powered editing tools to the iPhone.
The Generative Fill and Generative Expand features are powered by the company's proprietary Firefly AI suite. The former analyses the image's pixels to add or remove contents from images, matching the lighting, perspective, colouring, and shadow. Meanwhile, the latter tool is used for expanding images beyond their borders with AI-generated content based on textual prompts.
Creators can access a free library of Adobe Stock assets to enhance their images. It also gets direct integration with other Adobe creative apps including Adobe Express, Adobe Fresco and Adobe Lightroom, enabling them to export images to the aforementioned platforms.
Nothing Phone 3a series is scheduled to debut in India and globally on March 4. Ahead of its anticipated launch, the British original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has now showcased the design of base model in the series dubbed the Nothing Phone 3a. While it shares several design elements with the Phone 3a Pro such as the Glyph interface, the handset's rear camera module has a distinctly different appearance, giving the Phone 3a a more uniform look.
Nothing Phone 3a Design Revealed
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Nothing shared a glimpse of the upcoming Phone 3a's design. Unlike the Nothing Phone 3a Pro which features a large circular rear camera module with irregularly-placed lenses, the base model in the lineup will sport a pill-shaped unit horizontally placed at the back. It features three camera lenses.
Meanwhile, the rest of the design is identical to the high-end model. The Nothing Phone 3a comes equipped with a Glyph interface surrounding the camera module — a feature that has become synonymous with Nothing smartphones.
This development comes following the design reveal of the Nothing Phone 3a Pro on Monday and its unboxing carried out by 1X Technologies' Neo Gemma humanoid.
Nothing Phone 3a Specifications (Expected)
As per past reports, the Nothing Phone 3a is expected to be offered in black and white colour options and reportedly carries the model number A059. It may be equipped with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC and a 6.72-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate.
For optics, the phone is speculated to sport a triple rear camera unit, comprising a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle shooter at the back. It is also tipped to feature a 32-megapixel sensor at the front for selfies and video calls.
The phone is likely to pack a 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging support.
Actor Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles in "Gossip Girl" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", has died at the age of 39.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) stated that she was found unconscious and unresponsive in her Manhattan apartment.
According to Variety, she had recently been undergoing a liver transplant. However, the exact cause of death has not been confirmed, though NYPD has ruled out any criminal involvement.
In a statement, NYPD said officers responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 am, and emergency medical workers pronounced her dead at the scene.
"It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away," her publicist, Gary Mantoosh, said in a statement, adding. "The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time."
Born in New York on Oct. 11, 1985, Trachtenberg started her acting career at a very young age. She was just 3 when she appeared in commercials, and later, she got her first TV project, the Nickelodeon series 'The Adventures of Pete & Pete', which premiered in the mid-1990s, according to Variety.
At the age of 10, she got an opportunity to act in a movie, 'Harriet the Spy', which was released in 1996.
However, her breakthrough role was playing Dawn Summers on the teen drama 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.
Trachtenberg joined the popular show in its fifth season and remained on it through its seventh and final season, which ended in 2003.
Her other successful project was 'Gossip Girl', which aired from 2007 to 2012. In the teen drama, she played Georgina Sparks.
She briefly reprised her role on HBO Max's 'Gossip Girl' reboot in 2022, as per the outlet.
Apart from these successful shows, she also starred in films, including 2004's 'Eurotrip', a raunchy teen comedy, and 2005's 'Ice Princess', a comparatively wholesome film about a nerdy high schooler with a passion for figure skating, reported Variety.
She was also part of '17 Again', a 2009 American teen fantasy comedy film directed by Burr Steers. It stars Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, and Michelle Trachtenberg, with Melora Hardin, Sterling Knight, and Matthew Perry in supporting roles.
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Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, daughter of Neetu Kapoor and late actor Rishi Kapoor, finally opened up about the viral video where her daughter Samara seemingly pushed her nani (grandmother) Neetu Kapoor. The video went crazy viral on February 21 when Neetu Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and Samara posed on the red carpet at Aadar Jain and Alekha Advani's Hindu wedding.
Based on Samara's apparent grumpy face and her hand gestures, the Internet made a conjecture of a rift between Neetu Kapoor and her granddaughter Samara.
Dismissing the Internet's verdict, Riddhima Kapoor told Hindustan Times that her child was trying to "pose" only. "The whole thing got blown out of proportion. The poor child was only trying to pose. She wasn't upset. She was very excited, so much so that in the car she kept saying that, 'Oh my God, I'm sure there are gonna be photographers and I'm gonna pose like this and that'.
"And because the paparazzi were asking us to come together, she just wanted to pose on her own. She didn't push her nani," Riddhima Kapoor added.
Riddhima Kapoor also shared that Samara also didn't realize the gravity of online chatter, prompted by her gestures. "She was like 'when did I push her? I was trying to pose myself. I was just trying to extend my arm and get comfortable. I was posing. I never pushed anyone'," Riddhima added.
Riddhima Kapoor said Samara is becoming increasingly aware of the paparazzi culture. Sharing her thoughts on a past incident when Samara faced backlash for her goofy behaviour at the airport, Riddhima said, "Samara had pointed out to me that the last time she was being goofy then also they had a problem and now when she's not doing anything they again have a problem!"
"Kids these days are more aware about all these things. There's so much exposure. However, my mother and I chat with her (Samara) every single day about it - the pros, cons, good, bad, ugly, so that it doesn't affect her," Riddhima shared.
Riddhima Kapoor Sahni has been married to Bharat Sahni since 2006. They welcomed daughter Samara in 2011. Riddhima Sahni rose to fame after she appeared in the third installment of the Netflix reality show Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives.
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Govinda and his wife Sunita Ahuja are, reportedly, heading for a divorce after 37 years of marriage. Amidst the ongoing speculation, Govinda reacted to the reports of divorce in an interview with ETimes.
Without divulging details, Govinda kept his reply short. When ETimes asked Govinda about the truth of various reports claiming a rift in his marriage, the Hero No 1 actor said, "There are only business talks going.....I am in the process of starting my films." Sunita didn't reply to the message of ETimes about rumours of divorce.
When ETimes contacted Govinda's manager Shashi Sinha, he said, "There have been issues between the couple due to certain statements made by certain members from the family. There is nothing more to it and Govinda is in process of starting a film for which artists are visiting our office. We are trying to resolve it. "
On Wednesday, various reports claimed that Govinda's marriage is on the rocks for a while. The couple are, reportedly, living separately for some time now.
Reports of their rumoured separation emerged as Sunita Ahuja shared details of their private lives in a few recent interviews.
In the Hindi Rush interview, Sunita Ahuja laughed when asked about Govinda's romantic side. "I have told him that in my next life, he should not be my husband. He doesn't go on holidays. I am a person who wants to go out with her husband and eat pani-puri on the streets. He spent too much time working. I don't recall a single instance when we both went out to watch a movie," she complained.
Amidst these ongoing rumours, ETimes quoted a source as saying, "Sunita apparently had sent a separation notice a few months ago, but there has been no movement since then."
Govinda and Sunita Ahuja got married in March 1987. However, the couple announced their wedding after welcoming their daughter, Tina, in 1988. Later, they had a son, Yashvardhan, in 1997.
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Jio, one of India's leading telecom providers, offers users the flexibility to choose a special or fancy mobile number through its Jio Choice Number service. Whether you want a number that matches your birth date, vehicle registration, or simply an easy-to-remember sequence, Jio makes it convenient to get one. This service caters to both prepaid and postpaid users, ensuring that everyone can personalise their mobile experience. Here's everything you need to know about Jio Choice Numbers, including how to buy one through different methods.
What Is A Jio Choice Number?
A Jio Choice Number is a customised mobile number that users can select based on their preferences. Instead of being assigned a random number, customers can pick a fancy number with a unique combination, such as repeated digits, a specific pattern, or a number that holds personal significance. This service is ideal for individuals who want an exclusive identity, businesses looking for an easy-to-recall contact number, or those who prefer a number similar to their vehicle registration.
Jio offers a variety of fancy numbers, including:
VIP Numbers: Premium numbers with unique patterns or repeated digits.
Lucky Numbers: Numbers based on birth dates, anniversaries, or personal preferences.
Business Numbers: Easy-to-remember combinations for professionals and enterprises.
How to Get a Jio Choice Number?
Jio provides multiple ways for customers to obtain a choice number. Whether you prefer an online method or an offline purchase, the process is seamless. Below are the different ways you can get a Jio Choice Number.
How To Buy Jio Choice Number Online via the Jio Website
Go to www.jio.com and navigate to the “Choice Number” section.
Use the search feature and select your preferred number:
Enter your existing contact number to receive an OTP for verification.
Once verified, select the number and proceed to checkout.
You can either opt for home delivery or pick up the SIM from a nearby Jio store.
Provide the required identity and address proof to complete your KYC and activate the new number.
Once verification is complete, the new SIM with your choice number will be issued.
How To Buy Jio Choice Number via My Jio App
Download and open the My Jio App from the Play Store or App Store.
Use your existing Jio number or create a new account.
In the app menu, look for the ‘Fancy Number' or ‘Choice Number' section.
Check availability and choose your preferred combination.
Enter your mobile number and authenticate the request with an OTP.
Some VIP numbers may require an additional fee.
Choose your preferred method to receive the SIM card.
Provide the required documents and complete the verification process.
How To Buy Jio Choice Number From Jio Store
Visit your nearest Jio store using Google Maps or the My Jio App.
Ask for available choice numbers
The store executive will provide a list of available fancy numbers.
Choose the number that suits your preference.
Carry a valid Aadhaar card, passport, or driving licence for verification.
Complete KYC and pay any applicable charges.
The store will issue your SIM, which will be activated after verification.
Benefits of Fancy Jio Number
Personalised Identity: Stand out with a unique number tailored to your preference.
Easy to Remember: Useful for businesses and individuals who want a simple and catchy number.
Enhanced Brand Value: Professionals and businesses can benefit from an exclusive number that strengthens brand identity.
Ideal for Special Occasions: Choose a number that reflects a meaningful date or lucky combination.
VIP Treatment: Premium choice numbers may come with added perks, making them more valuable.
FAQs
Do I need a new SIM Card when choosing a Jio Choice Number?
Yes, opting for a Jio Choice Number requires a new SIM card. Your existing number cannot be converted into a fancy number. Once the new SIM is issued, you can use it after completing the KYC process.
Is Jio Choice Number prepaid?
Jio Choice Numbers can be used for both prepaid and postpaid connections. During the booking process, you will be given the option to select your preferred plan type.
Will I get a new SIM by opting for a Jio Choice Number?
Yes, once you purchase a Jio Choice Number, you will receive a new SIM card linked to that number. You must activate it by following the standard verification process.
Can I book multiple series numbers that are similar to those of my family/friends?
Yes, Jio allows customers to book multiple numbers with similar patterns, making it convenient for families and businesses to have matching or sequential numbers.
I have a vehicle with a VIP number, so can I use a similar number as my mobile number?
Yes, Jio Choice Number allows you to select a mobile number that matches your vehicle registration number, provided it is available. This is a popular option for those who prefer a consistent numeric identity.
Realme 14 Pro series debuted in India last month and its global launch has now been confirmed. The company has announced that its lineup, comprising the Realme 14 Pro and 14 Pro+, will be launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona. The event takes place between March 3-6 in the aforementioned nation. This also confirms the company's participation at one of the world's biggest technology showcases of the year. Realme has also reportedly teased an Ultra variant that could join the lineup as a new offering.
Realme 14 Pro Series Global Launch Confirmed
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Realme shared a short video clip which confirms that it will launch a smartphone with a “DSLR-level” smartphone camera at MWC Barcelona. While it did not officially reveal its name, it is widely believed to be the Realme 14 Pro series based on its appearance. Both models, the Realme 14 Pro and Realme 14 Pro+, are expected to have similar features and specifications as their Indian counterparts.
This includes a cold-sensitive colour-changing technology that reacts to temperature changes. The phone's back cover claims to change from pearl white to blue when the temperature drops below 16 degrees Celsius. It will return to its original shade when the ambient temperature increases. Other specifications include AMOLED 120Hz screens, 50-megapixel cameras with optical image stabilisation (OI)S, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection, and IP66+IP68+IP69 rating.
Meanwhile, Realme has also reported to have teased a new “Ultra” variant which might join the Realme 14 Pro series at the upcoming MWC Barcelona. It is said to have a camera sensor “larger” than other flagship models, although it remains unclear which devices the company is referring to here. The teaser shows a phone's silhouette featuring a large, circular camera module which occupies the entire top-half of its back panel.
Realme 14 Pro Series Price in India
Realme 14 Pro 5G price in India starts at Rs. 24,999 for the 8GB+128GB model, while the 8GB+256GB variant is priced at Rs. 26,999. It is available in Jaipur Pink, Pearl White, and Suede Grey finishes.
The Realme 14 Pro+ 5G is priced at Rs.29,999 for the 8GB+128GB version, and an is8GB+256GB costs Rs. 31,999. A 12GB+256GB storage model is available for Rs. 34,999. It is sold in Bikaner Purple, Pearl White, and Suede Grey colourways.
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e as the latest entry-level model from Apple, the focus has now shifted to the flagship iPhone 17 lineup which is slated to debut later this year. According to claims by a seasoned journalist, Apple is aiming to improve the camera capabilities of the iPhone 17 Pro models but it will not just stop at still photography. The Cupertino-based technology company is also expected to emphasise on improvements related to video recording this time around.
Improved Video Recording on iPhone 17 Pro Models
In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman highlighted Apple's ambitions of its iPhone 17 Pro models potentially being the go-to video recording devices for the vlogging community and other video content creators. The company is reported to deliver a “significant” upgrade, especially with the top-of-the-line Pro models, with a particular stress on improving the video recording prowess.
As per Gurman, Apple wants to make sure that its iPhone 17 Pro models replace standalone cameras for creators. The company is expected to advertise these improvements during the keynote at its anticipated September event with the debut of the iPhone 17 series.
While specifications remain unconfirmed, previous reports suggest Apple will equip the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max with a 48-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, an upgraded version of the 12-megapixel camera currently found on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The phones may also come with a 24-megapixel selfie camera as opposed to the 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the current lineup.
Recently surfaced renders of the smartphones also suggest they may undergo a drastic change in terms of design, with the Pro models potentially sporting a Pixel-style camera layout along with dual-toned rear panels.
However, it is worth noting that there are several months until the iPhone 17 series is launched, and these leaks are advised to be taken with a grain of salt. More details about the handsets are likely to surface in the months leading up to their debut.
Vivo, a brand known mainly for its mid-premium segment smartphones, is seeing increasing competition with every passing year. While it was difficult to find features such as a good camera and battery life in this segment a few years ago, the competition has now caught up. Xiaomi's Redmi Note 14 Pro+ (which was earlier a part of its budget series of devices) is now delivering good value priced from Rs. 30,999. And the same applies to brands like Poco and Realme, which have gotten increasingly aggressive with pricing. With Vivo now fully aware of the competition, inching closer with every passing year, it has now come up with what we believe is a tolerable successor for its mid-range V40 series. The Vivo V50 has plenty of upgrades over the previous models, and for once, some of these actually make sense.
Vivo V50 Design: Quad-curved display done right
Dimensions - 163.29 x 76.72 x 7.57mm
Weight - 199g
Durability - IP68 + IP69
Unlike its predecessors, the Vivo V50 has a slim, rounded design that looks and feels premium. The phone comes in three finishes—Titanium Grey, Starry Night and Rose Red. The glass rear panel of the Rose Red unit we received has a smooth matte finish. It's nice to see that the odd keyhole-shaped camera module does not stand out as much because it, too, has been given the matte-finish treatment. Vivo's Aura ring light has grown bigger in diameter, providing better coverage than the previous implementation.
The Vivo V50 has a smooth, satin-like finish for its rear panel but packs a solid IP69 rating for dust and water resistance
The rounded pebble-like design is very comfortable to hold, and the chrome-finished polycarbonate frame (also the chassis), apart from helping reduce weight, also makes the phone easier to grip. The phone still has a heft to it at 199 grams, but you need to keep in mind that it packs in a 6,000mAh battery.
Unlike most smartphones we have seen in the premium segment, Vivo indeed got the micro quad-curved display right with its V50. With most micro-quad-curved display panels, the deal is to make the content appear a bit immersive without the content sliding too far into the curved sides and hence appearing distorted. The upside of using this tech is that even the display border appears thinner if done right. On most premium smartphones (usually by Chinese manufacturers), micro-quad-curved panels are typically accompanied by mid-frames with flat sides, which breaks the flow of the design by pairing rounded and flat surfaces.
The Vivo V50 has well-rounded, quad-curved panels and a curved mid-frame, which lend it a very comfortable grip and hand feel.
Vivo managed to pull this off well. Thanks to its unique combination of a quad-curved rear panel, a curved mid-frame, and a quad-curved display, it has a seamless look and feel. It reminds me of the older all-metal iPhone models, such as the iPhone 6, which also had a flat front and back but rounded sides.
My only nitpick about the Vivo V50's design would be the slightly sharp cutout for the USB port and speaker grilles at the bottom.
This splendid design is backed up by a solid IP68 and IP69 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning you could take this phone for a swim in freshwater. However, do keep in mind that Vivo's warranty (just like most manufacturers) does not cover damage caused by liquid ingress.
Looks aside, the display has thin borders all around, and the curved edges also mean more reflections when viewing the display outdoors, which can get distracting. Outdoor legibility, thanks to the claimed 4,500 nits of peak brightness, was not a problem, and the same can be said about the display's colours, which appeared natural in all types of lighting conditions. The display also supports HDR10 content, and it appeared as expected.
Obvious downgrades aside, I also noticed that the quad-curved panel introduced this year does lose a few pixels. The Vivo V40's curved-edge display had a resolution of 2,800 × 1,260 pixels, while the new model offers a slightly lower 2,392 × 1,080 pixels. The differences in sharpness will be minor, so it will be hard to tell the difference.
The Vivo V50's quad-curved display produces some unnecessary reflections when viewed outdoors
The display is of the adaptive variety and switches between 60, 90, and 120Hz depending on the application or content being viewed. During the testing period, I noticed random instances where the refresh rate of the display would drop to something well below 30Hz, leading to some supremely slowed-down, sluggish animations when using the phone. These were quite random, and the phone would sort itself out in about 5-10 seconds. However, after a recent bug fix and security update, I did not face the abovementioned issue.
Vivo V50 Software: AI add-ons
Software version - Android 15
Software - Funtouch OS 15
Software commitment - X years of software, X years of security updates
Funtouch OS has now moved on to Android 15, making it Funtouch OS 15. The mobile operating system remains typically Vivo, with a focus on customising the minutest of details that other manufacturers usually don't bother with. The OS with Android 15 is now a lot more stable and smoother (except for the random hiccups I experienced) and comes with some minor visual enhancements like icon and theme customisation.
The main chunk of Funtouch OS 15's add-ons comes with new AI tools. On the V50, I experimented with the AI Erase tool in the image editor but found the results unsatisfactory, as the tool struggled to perform even the most basic image edits successfully (or up to expectations). Next, I tried out the AI Call Translator tool, and it surprisingly worked well both for Hindi and Marathi callers, provided the caller spoke fluently.
Vivo's Funtouch OS 15 has some new AI-infused features but these don't work as expected. Customisation features (pictured) are a big plus.
Vivo V50 Performance: Gets the job done
Processor - Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
RAM - 12GB (LPDDR4X)
Storage - 256GB (UFS 2.2)
Quick product refresh cycles are a thing with most Chinese smartphone brands, especially in the budget and mid-range smartphone segments. Vivo is no stranger to such product release cycles, and so we saw the Vivo V30 and the Vivo V40 getting launched just 5 months apart! With such quick release cycles, it's common for brands to retain design elements along with camera hardware while upgrading the processor and battery/charging performance.
And so we end up with Vivo's processor of choice, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, which has been used in the past two generations of the V series. While I'd expect it to be tried and tested and reliable, I did find its performance a bit lacklustre while playing FPS games like Call of Duty Mobile, where the phone just could not maintain a smooth or steady frame rate. Even at the highest settings, Asphalt Legends: Unite performed smoothly. The display was just about tolerable in terms of sensitivity, so if you are into mobile gaming, this isn't the phone for you.
The Vivo V50 gets two rear-facing cameras accompanied by a larger ring light than the V40
In terms of benchmarks, the Vivo V50 does not fare well when stacked against the competition, as better-performing smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoCs are available at and around this price point.
Benchmarks
Vivo V50
Realme GT 6
Poco F6
Chipset
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (4nm)
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4nm)
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4nm)
Display resolution
FHD+
FHD+
FHD+
AnTuTu v10
8,20,958
14,05,190
14,57,491
PCMark Work 3.0
10,496
18,828
15,743
Geekbench 6 Single
1,121
1,944
1,835
Geekbench 6 Multi
3,110
4,895
4,693
GFXB T-rex
60
60
120
GFXB Manhattan 3.1
60
60
112
GFXB Car Chase
42
60
71
3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
5,481
3DM Slingshot
8,289
Maxed Out
4,655
3DM Wild Life
5,251
Maxed Out
Maxed Out
3DM Wild Life Unlimited
5,468
11,325
11,734
The stereo speakers can get very loud at full volume, but the sound lacks any bass whatsoever. The resulting audio is clear even though it does not sound full and rich. Haptic vibrations are far from crisp. Given the smartphone's price tag, I expected better.
Vivo V50 Cameras: A mixed bag
Primary camera - 50-megapixel, f/1.8, AF, OIS
Ultrawide camera - 50-megapixel, f/2.0, AF
Selfie camera - 50-megapixel, f/2.0, AF
Vivo V50 ultrawide camera samples (tap images to expand)
The ultrawide camera snaps 12-megapixel binned images, and the results are average at best. There's noticeable lens barrel distortion around the edges of the image and plenty of purple fringing in the brighter areas. The colours are alright, but there's some oversharpening and aggressive noise reduction, which produces flat, oil-painting-like textures even in daylight. In low light, there's reduced dynamic range, meaning there are little to no details visible in the shadows. Noise is under control, but just like the daylight captures, it comes at the cost of horribly reduced resolved detail.
Vivo V50 super macro camera sample (tap image to expand)
The same camera is also in charge of macro photos and can be accessed through the Super Macro mode. And this is where the ultrawide camera makes itself a bit more useful. It does a decent job of snapping macro photos, letting you get really close to your subject, but the images lack resolved details. In short, they appear fine until you zoom in and check for detail, where you are greeted by an oversharpened mess. The primary camera lets you get about 10-15cm away from the subject, but its shallow depth of field means the fall-off is a bit excessive, leaving a very small patch to focus on.
Vivo V50 daylight camera samples. Top: 1X (primary camera), Middle: 2X (digital zoom), Bottom: 2X (digital zoom) (tap images to expand)
The primary camera, too, does an average job when snapping photos under daylight. The dynamic range and colours are fine, but the captures are low on resolved detail and sharpness. Shooting at 2X digital zoom sees better and sharper output, resulting in usable photos when snapped in daylight. However, in low light or under artificial light, the resolved detail is a little lower, leading to photos that appear flat. This also applies to the Portrait mode.
Vivo V50 low-light camera samples (tap images to expand)
The main camera's low-light images are surprisingly good. They come out sharp and clear, packing good detail and dynamic range. This is probably down to the camera's Night mode imaging algorithms, which also take a bit of time to process once an image has been captured, making you wait for a few seconds until you can capture the next shot.
Selfies in low light (pictured) come out really well, thanks to the Aura ring light. Daylight selfies are also sharp and pack in good detail with good edge-detection (tap image to expand)
Videos recorded at 1080p at 30fps come out a bit soft but have good colour and stabilisation. 4K 30fps videos are also well stabilised but only manage a marginal improvement in terms of detail. Videos captured from the selfie camera have blown-out backgrounds when shooting in bright outdoor environments, so it's best avoided.
In low light, 1080p video recordings appear a bit too soft and lack both detail and dynamic range. 4K footage manages better detail along with good stabilisation. Things are far from ideal, as there's visible noise, and dynamic range isn't handled well, with blown-out highlights in bright areas and missing details in the darker patches when shooting street-lit scenes.
Vivo V50 Battery: Downright impressive!
Battery capacity - 6,000mAh
Wired charging - 90W
Wireless charging - NA
The Vivo V50's battery easily lasted me well over a day with casual use and mixed connectivity, which includes staying connected to 5G and Wi-Fi networks. Indeed, battery life is not an issue with this phone, whether you are a casual user who just scrolls through social media apps or a power user who is constantly on calls, switching between several apps, including camera usage and gaming.
The Vivo V50 measures just 7.5mm at its thinnest point but somehow has a 6,000mAh battery stuffed inside.
In our standard battery video loop test, the phone managed a solid score of 29 hours and 12 minutes, which is impressive even for a mid-ranger. Charging is also surprisingly fast (for a device with a 6,000mAh battery), with the Vivo V50 managing a 56 percent charge in 30 minutes and 81 percent in one hour, completing the charging just 5 minutes later.
Vivo V50 Verdict
Vivo's abnormally quick product release cycle for its V series makes it obvious that many may hold off on upgrading to the new V50 despite its advancements over the V40 released last year. Given last year's release schedule, we can expect a Vivo V60 to be launched in the next 5 months, well before the year ends. Even if the upgrades are minor, they will still matter because we expect the pricing to stay the same.
We have nobody but Vivo to blame for this conundrum. Those who own a Vivo V20 can now finally upgrade to the V50, which offers a big jump in overall performance. Vivo V30 upgrades also benefit from improved battery life and a better set of cameras.
If a sleek design and battery life matter most to you, then the Vivo V50 is a good choice for the average consumer. But if performance matters, then you are better off with devices like Realme's GT 6 (Review), which is priced a wee bit higher, or even the Poco F6 (Review) that's priced a lot lower than the V50. Xiaomi's Redmi Note 14 Pro+ (Review) is also a solid contender (at a much lower price), as it offers better battery life than the Vivo V50.
