The Ringtone Terminology Jargon Explained

It’s hard to imagine the mobile industry being as popular as it is today without the ringtone. It’s all too common to see mobile phones today that have actual media players and TrueTone capability- but what’s all the jargon mean, and what should one look for in a mobile phone’s capability?

The first type of ringtone that was produced was the monophonic ringtone. Such ringtones were basic in design, and were common in mobile phones of the 1990’s. Monophonic may seem like a big word, but it actually only means that one sound or note could be played at one time. Thus, popular MP3 songs can not be played on monophonic mobile phones- just basic tunes and beats.

Slightly better quality was obtained after the monophonic generation of mobile phone ringtones. Polyphonic ringtones, which support more than one note to be played at any given time, were able to take ringtones to the next level in recreating songs and melodies. Still, the quality wasn’t the best, and there was room to improve.

After the polyphonic ringtone came the TrueTone type, which allowed for a very realistic recreation of music and songs. Instead of just tones, TrueTone ringtones can recreate all types of percussion, guitar, and vocal noises through the enhanced ringtone format developers created. This invention paved the way to the success of the ringtone industry in particular.

Not all ringtones were created equal- in fact, some are used to be secretive when using a mobile phone. The Mosquito Ringtone has become a popular type of ringtone that only youth can hear. It is such a high frequency that adults who have suffered natural ear damage as they age will not be able to hear the tone- making it perfect for classroom or work usage where mobile phones are not permitted.

It has become recently applicable to put actual songs on mobile phones as ringtones. This is better than the TrueTone ringtone type, as actual songs can be kept in their original file type. This means there is no loss in quality due to file type changes or compression. However, this technology is usually only available on the more expensive phones- with the Smart Phone line of mobile phones in particular. However, it won’t be long before this technology becomes mainstream.

In Conclusion

Mobile phones and ringtones are a match made in heaven. The terminology and phrases that describe such technologies might be confusing at first, but it turns out that just a little knowledge of prefix origins and mobile phone know-how can mean all the difference when knowing the details between the three types of ringtones. As technology seeks to evolve the ringtone industry, it is likely we will see more “secretive” ringtones and true song files gracing our mobile phones. Until then, mobile users should invest in a mobile phone that is TrueTone capable, or a Smart Phone if the funds are available.

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