What are Different Types of Ring Tones?
It isn’t unusual to go to a public place, such as a supermarket, and hear a chorus of competing musical samples. Some are just tones in a sequence, while other samples are actual radio versions of popular songs. Of course, all of these are ring tones for cell phones.
With the number of cell phones in America in the millions, and Americans being what they are, there was bound to be a market for unique ring tones. When cell phones were still in their infancy, a person could get five or six different ringing options. Now, there are thousands of ring tones available, suitable for every taste and budget.
A person’s choice of ring tones will depend on what kinds of ring tones her cell phone supports. Some older phones only support the old monophonic ring tones, which play one note at a time. The next generation in ring tones included polyphonic varieties. Compatible phones for polyphonic ring tones reproduce the tones in harmony. These ring tones are usually longer than monophonic ones, and many titles are available.
The newest cell phones have MP3 technology, and so can play actual song samples. These samples sound like the song does on the radio. The MP3 ring tones are extremely popular with younger people and add a unique sound to the phone.
A person may decide to use ring tones that come with his cell phone, or he may decide to purchase extras. Additional ring tones can be purchased online through the phone’s manufacturer. Ring tones are also available through the person’s service carrier. Ring tones are downloaded onto the phone, and the user can choose the new tone from the menu.
In the beginning, ring tones were simple tunes, some specific to the phone’s manufacturer, some one-note renditions of classical music or public domain tunes. These cost the manufacturers nothing in licensing fees, so they were popular. However, people wanted more titles to individualize their phones, and manufacturers began offering the polyphonic ring tones and, finally, MP3 ring tones.
Almost any tune is available as a ring tone. Selections run the gamut: classical, pop, heavy metal, soul, country, rap, jazz and swing. Most universities even have their fight songs available as ring tones. All a person needs to do is to log on to her service provider’s web site, select her phone make and model and start picking ring tones. Most are fairly inexpensive to download, so it’s a nice way to personalize your phone.
Written by A Kaminsky
