Ringing is so passe. Ringtones are not only hip, but they say something about you. Are you classic Frank Sinatra or booty-shaking Beyonce? Are you high-brow Vivaldi or belly-dancing Shakira?
If you’re still an Apple IIe when it comes to current technology, here’s a glossary to help you become ring-tone savvy.
Monophonic ringtone: Made up of beeps, the tunes are simple because the phone can produce only one sound at a time.
Polyphonic ringtone: Multiple notes and tones can be played simultaneously, offering better quality than the monophonic ringtone but not as good as real music.
Celebrity voice ringtone: Voices of celebrities and characters, from Darth
Vader (right) to Tony Blair, straight from your phone.
Real music ringtone: The latest when it comes to ringtone capability. Real music or full music ringtones play actual music, with all the vocals and instruments.
Ringtone: The sound emanating from a cell phone to signal an incoming call or message. Most cell phones allow for musical ringtones to be downloaded.
Ringtone composer: A feature on some cell phones that allows you to create your own ringtones with the phone’s keyboard.
Sound ringtone: Why would you want music to signal an incoming call when you can hear a beaver gnawing wood or a tiger calling its mate?