| Forget the days of hearing that generic cell phone ring | | | | choose your tunes for a one-time download fee. |
| that made you anxiously reach into your purse and | | | | Verizon Wireless |
| fumble for your phone. In today's age of | | | | Verizon also offers thousands of ringtones and |
| individualization, no one has reason to suffer through | | | | ringback tones for download. Verizon calls its ringtones |
| homogenous rings with the abundant supply of | | | | VZW Tones, which are available on all Get It Now |
| websites and providers that offer ringtones that can | | | | enabled cellular phones or online at Verizon's website. |
| personalize your otherwise ordinary cell phone. Have a | | | | Verizon phones and its website allow users to |
| song that you love to listen to? Hop online and search | | | | preview ringtones and browse by different categories |
| for that specific tune and chances are you'll find a | | | | (like "What's Hot" and "What's New). Ringtones are |
| ringtone to go with it. Then, customize the ringtone to | | | | handset specific, so before purchasing a ringtone, be |
| play only the part you want to hear when friends call - | | | | sure to check that your phone is compatible with your |
| or, assign a specific ringtone to one particular person. | | | | chosen tunes. When ready to purchase, users can |
| The options are endless. | | | | preview ringtones, add to an online cart, and agree to |
| There are only a few criteria to consider when | | | | have the $2.99 fee added to his/her next bill. Each |
| choosing what website to download ringtones from. | | | | ringtone is available for $2.99. Although it's tempting to |
| First, be sure that your cell phone is compatible with | | | | search for free ringtone downloads on the plethora of |
| the ringtone you've chosen. Verizon users, for | | | | ringtone websites out there, users should beware: |
| example, can be assured that any tune downloaded | | | | Verizon blocks ringtones from any site other than its |
| from Verizon's website will work with their phone. If | | | | "Get It Now" platform from downloading to any of its |
| you're considering using any other website or service, | | | | phones. |
| be sure to check and see that your phone will be | | | | AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless) |
| capable of receiving and playing your ringtone. | | | | AT&T offers subscribers the option to join the |
| Secondly, be sure that sound quality is acceptable. | | | | Tone Club, a service that allows you to download |
| Most websites will allow you to preview a ringtone | | | | ringtones every month at a discount. Subscribers can |
| before making a purchase. Thirdly, make sure that you | | | | choose from a 3- , 6-, or 9-pack set. This service is |
| understand how and when you will be charged for | | | | available as a monthly subscription that ranges from |
| your purchase. Most major service providers will add | | | | $5.99 to $9.99 per month. Charges incurred from the |
| any ringtone purchases to your next month's bill. Once | | | | Tone Club appear on monthly bills. AT&T also |
| you have these three bases covered, hop online and | | | | offers a MyMEdia Club, a feature that you can add to |
| get ready to jazz up your cell phone! | | | | your account that allows you to download ringtones, |
| SouthernLINC | | | | graphics and games from the AT&T Media Mall |
| SouthernLINC Wireless offers a broad range of | | | | or directly from your phone for a monthly subscription |
| ringtones, wallpapers, calltones and applications. Many | | | | fee that ranges from $5.99 to $14.99. To download |
| users will find that in order to download much of the | | | | ringtones from AT&T, first ensure that you have |
| offered content, they will need to perform a software | | | | a compatible phone (visit the AT&T website to |
| upgrade on their phones; this is easily accomplished by | | | | search for your phone and ensure that you have a |
| visiting Motorola's website and installing the necessary | | | | model that will support the ringtones you want). For |
| upgrades for the relevant model phone. Like other | | | | those who aren't interested in a subscription service, |
| providers, SouthernLINC allows subscribers to choose | | | | you can purchase ringtones a la carte for a one-time |
| from excerpted music, polyphonic rings, celebrity | | | | fee of $2.49; AT&T also charges for the number |
| voices and unique sounds for ringtones. Ringtones cost | | | | of kilobytes or minutes used for the download. |
| $1.99 for the one-time download fee and are yours to | | | | Charges for ringtones are reflected on monthly |
| keep for an unlimited amount of time. For phones that | | | | wireless bills. AT&T customers can search for |
| are capable of supporting digital content, SouthernLINC | | | | ringtones in one of three ways: online at the |
| offers a plethora of applications that are unique | | | | AT&T Wireless website, on cellular phones via |
| amongst its competitors. Users can choose from | | | | Media Net (your wireless phone's version of the |
| financial solutions content, navigation and direction | | | | internet), or via text messaging. Once the ringtone is |
| software, sports & entertainment platforms, and | | | | transmitted to your phone, you'll receive a series of |
| news & weather sources, just to name a few. | | | | prompts that will indicate how to save your ringtone as |
| Browsing for content for your specific phone model is | | | | a default or a specific setting. |
| easy with SouthernLINC's handy filter feature. | | | | Cricket |
| Customers can access all available downloads by | | | | Cricket offers countless downloads through its web |
| visiting the "Browser Apps" function on a mobile device | | | | browsers on all web-enabled phones, allowing Cricket |
| or on SouthernLINC's website. Cell phone subscribers | | | | users to customize their phones with the hottest |
| will appreciate SouthernLINC's user-friendly purchasing | | | | games, tunes and applications around. To make buying |
| process. When you are ready to buy a ringtone, | | | | even easier, Cricket offers a simple click and buy |
| application, or game, you can preview your purchase, | | | | process on its mobile phones, allowing customers to |
| click the "go" button, enter your phone number and | | | | easily purchase and install their downloads in just a |
| you're finished. Within a few minutes, you'll receive a | | | | few short minutes. For customers who are unsure if |
| text message with a link to the tone or application and | | | | their phone supports downloads, be sure to visit |
| directions for installing it onto your phone. | | | | Cricket's website and view the list of compatible |
| Sprint | | | | phones, which include Kyocera, Motorola, Nokia and |
| Similar to SouthernLINC, Sprint Mobile also offers a | | | | Samsung models. |
| variety of personalized ringtones (called ringers) and | | | | Other Download Sources |
| calltones through its website and cellular phones. Unlike | | | | Of course cell phone users aren't limited to their |
| other cellular providers, Sprint offers subscribers a free | | | | service providers for the latest in ringtones. |
| ringer for the holidays on its website. Sprint's ringer | | | | Music-based websites like MTV, iTunes and Vh1 are |
| webpage, Digital Lounge, resembles any other online | | | | cashing in on consumers urges to personalize their |
| CD or music website with its sophisticated filter and | | | | mobile phones by offering excusive ringtones, graphics |
| search functions, graphical CD covers, and all of the | | | | and games. Vh1, for instance, offers ringtones from |
| hottest music. Sprint's genres are expansive and | | | | many of its popular shows, content that is not available |
| appeal to nearly every consumer group by including | | | | through any of the major wireless carriers. In order to |
| everything from "Indie Greats" to "Songs for Baby | | | | download content from VH1, you must be a T-Mobile, |
| Boomers." Downloads from the Digital Lounge are | | | | Cingular, or AT&T subscriber and have a phone |
| $2.50 and appear on Sprint's monthly bills. The Digital | | | | that can play either polyphonic tones or digitones, |
| Lounge offers much more than just ringers; you'll also | | | | depending on what you are purchasing. The good |
| find screensavers, themes and games. One unique | | | | news for consumers is that they will not be charged |
| feature in the Digital Lounge is the Content Manager, | | | | for purchasing an application or ringtone that isn't |
| where subscribers can organize all of their downloads, | | | | compatible with their phone. Ringtones from VH1 are |
| preview audio clips of ringers and call tones, watch | | | | $1.99 each. |
| previews of new television shows, and resend | | | | MTV and iTunes offer the latest in ringtone content by |
| purchases to new phones after upgrading cell phone | | | | updating their websites daily. To date, Verizon, Cingular, |
| models. | | | | T-Mobile and Sprint customers can purchase from the |
| T-Mobile | | | | MTV mobile store. iTunes, the behemoth of all online |
| T-Mobile offers subscribers a variety of ringtone | | | | music providers, offers an extensive library of |
| options, including MegaTones, instrumental ringtones of | | | | ringtones that are only compatible with Apple's iPhone, |
| favorite songs; HiFi Ringers, short clips of actual artist | | | | serviced through AT&T Wireless. These ringtones |
| recordings; and CallerTunes, ringback tones that callers | | | | are $0.99 each. iTunes allows you to create ringtones |
| hear when calling your phone. MegaTones downloads | | | | from songs in the iTunes Store or your music library. |
| are $1.99 each and can be downloaded by going to | | | | Newer arrivals to the ringtone scene include |
| "t-zones" on your ringtone-capable phone and | | | | Jamster.com, Mixxer.com, Thumbplay.com, and |
| browsing the MegaTones category or by logging onto | | | | Flycell.com, all of which provide membership |
| My T-Mobile. T-Mobile's HiFi Ringers are excerpts from | | | | subscription plans and a huge variety of genres from |
| hit songs by today's top-selling artists at $2.49 each. | | | | which to pick. Users of all major carriers can easily be |
| CallerTunes allow you to entertain your callers by | | | | accommodated by one of these websites. |
| playing excerpts from original artist recordings - and, | | | | *Not responsible for pricing as they change often, visit |
| you can set different CallerTunes for different people. | | | | the websites to get current pricing and offerings |
| For only $1.49 a month, you can download and store | | | | information. |
| up to 15 CallerTunes; or, for $1.99 per tune, you can | | | | |