Since polyphonic ringtones arrived on phones a little over two decades ago, many users have meticulously customized each of their mobile phone sounds. This led manufacturers to strive to include exclusive melodies that would eventually become a hallmark of their brand, so that everyone would know what kind of phone was ringing. Nokia was one of the first manufacturers to popularize this, but nowadays, smartphone manufacturers have also followed in the Finnish company's footsteps. Throughout this article, we'll review the ringtones that have defined eras and that we've heard most often when receiving a call.
The best ringtones ever
Throughout these years we have seen countless creations, but only a few have managed to penetrate the public. Next, we are going to review some of the most famous of the modern telephony era, sounds that you probably recognize immediately after hearing a slight fraction of a second and that have been with us since their emergence in the second half of the decade of the 90s. XNUMX.
nokia tune
The Nokia ringtone is arguably one of the first ringtones to become famous worldwide. It first appeared in 1994 with the launch of the Nokia 2110, and over time it has evolved while maintaining its original essence. Sadly, the brand eventually disappeared from the market (at least as a major player in the industry), and today the only way to remember it is to install it as a custom ringtone using an .mp3 file. If you don't recognize it, you must be too young.
Interestingly, this ringtone has a Spanish origin . Specifically, the Finns borrowed the melody from a piece of Gran Vals , a song by Francisco Tárrega . The Barcelona-born composer and guitarist composed it in 1902, about seven years before his death and 90 years before Nokia launched the first phone with this fantastic melody. You can listen to the complete piece in the following video:
Hello Moto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSV-ABP9hcw
If there's one brand that defines the birth and evolution of the mobile phone industry, it's Motorola. The original company that developed those first devices like the legendary StarTAC, although in the following decade, the 2000s, the RAZR began to arrive with polyphonic ringtones that we could buy through the always risky premium SMS subscription services. Anyway, if you press play on the video we've included above, you can relive the good old days of Hello Moto. From 2004 to 2022.
Sony Ericsson Ringtone
Ringtones transcend time for a very simple reason: they're the best-selling phones. A few years ago, one of the top-selling brands was Sony Ericsson , and its ringtone became quite iconic. But history repeats itself, and after being completely absorbed by Sony Mobile, that fantastic brand has become a simple MIDI ringtone that only a few will remember.
BlackBerry Presidential Ringtone
Another company that couldn't miss out on the ringtone party is BlackBerry. The business-oriented phone racked up massive sales worldwide thanks to its fantastic messaging and email service. These phones with integrated QWERTY keyboards were a huge hit with thousands of businesses and corporations around the globe, but the arrival of touchscreens changed everything. However, its ringtone will also remain in our memories. Especially for its use in House of Cards , as Frank Underwood used it as his default ringtone.
The marimba becomes famous
But if there's one ringtone that defines a brand, it's none other than Marimba. Apple designed one of the most distinctive ringtones of recent years, basing it on the sounds of the marimba, a percussion instrument similar to the xylophone, which left an unmistakable melody: the iPhone ringtone. Apple was the last to arrive, but as always, it set the trend, and the marimba began to be heard all over the world, and not just on Apple devices.
However, it can be said that there are two types of opinions regarding the Marimba. Those who use it by default as a ringtone surely have a lot of affection for it. However, there is another large number of users who use it as an alarm clock tone. And, obviously, surely these people do not care too much for this tone from the apple brand.
samsung tune
Long before Samsung took on Apple in the race to make the best smartphone each year, the Koreans were already making very good phones and achieving considerable sales, though not as high as Nokia. Back in the early 2000s, the Samsung Tune was the default ringtone on all Samsung devices. It was a very catchy tune that very few people changed. Firstly, because there were usually very few alternatives, and secondly, because setting a different ringtone cost a fortune by sending SMS messages—though only millennials and older will remember that.
sound of horizons
Over the Horizon is the theme Samsung has been using on its mobile phones since the launch of the Galaxy S2, and which it has been slightly modifying year after year until arriving at the symphonic version that plays today. It's a more complex melody born in a modern era, which is why it's especially different from other classical melodies we've known for a long time.
Google Nexus Ringtone
Those of us who've been around for a while will surely remember those Google phones that were launched in collaboration with other companies like Samsung, LG, and HTC, before Google took control and rebranded everything as Pixel. The fact is, those early smartphones from Mountain View all had a very distinctive look that was quickly adopted by fans of the line. The Galaxy Nexus from Samsung was extraordinary, as was the Nexus 4 with LG. Those were the days!
Huawei TuneLiving
As a manufacturer grows and achieves a greater market share, it is normal for many of its peculiarities to become more and more known among the public, and obviously Huawei was not going to be less. With its Tune Living tone, it has made many people recognize a Huawei simply by the sound of its melody.
LG's Children's Melody
LG's mobile division is now history, but there was a time when it wasn't uncommon to hear this fantastic melody sung by the Vienna Boys' Choir quite frequently . It came as the default ringtone on most of the brand's smartphones, and it was undoubtedly a pleasant and beautifully orchestrated tune. Unfortunately, LG ended up making many mistakes trying to innovate in a very saturated market instead of continuing to manufacture phones with a great price-to-performance ratio. The song "Life's Good" first appeared on the LG G2 , a phone that won us over with its capabilities and also because, for many months, it was the best value-for-money phone on the market. We'll miss you, LG.
Huawei Harmony OS 2.0
Now that Huawei is preparing to launch HarmonyOS , it's expected that the manufacturer will announce its new ringtone to identify the brand's new proprietary operating system. It seems the melody will retain the classic notes of the Living ringtone, which originally appeared on Android and was a defining feature of the brand's phones. This way, the manufacturer will maintain that recognizable essence. The leaked video reveals what the new melody, called Harmony, will sound like, although it appears there will be two other Huawei-specific ringtones: Clean and Orchestra.
Xiaomi's ringtone
Did you think that Xiaomi was going to be left out of this list? This is another of the manufacturers that, based on selling mobile phones, has managed to place itself among the list of recognized tones, and that is that the melody (with a certain marimba tone, it must be said) gives life to all the brand's terminals.
Movistar tone
Back when mobile carriers customized their smartphones and phones with all sorts of cosmetic features, ringtones were also highly sought after, so it's quite possible you've owned a device that, when you made a call, sounded like the one in the video above. And if you haven't, you've probably heard it from a friend with a Movistar line. Right? Well, that's certainly unusual.
Of course, this time had more cons than pros. Sometimes, the operators went too far with customizations, and sometimes, the tones were cool, but having them in the terminal meant having a phone full of accesses to make us go through the checkout, as was the case with the shortcuts to go to eMotion and other paid services. A time that is already far behind, right?
Does Microsoft want to be part of this list?
Another company that could be on this list is Microsoft, as it recently published a patent for the ringtone that will be featured on the Surface Duo . Microsoft's highly anticipated dual-screen phone will go on sale at the end of the year, and thanks to the promotional video, we got a taste of what it will sound like. The melody is quite catchy, but will it become a hit? After almost a year on the market, the device hasn't quite lived up to expectations, and given its still very limited distribution, the catchy tune remains largely unknown for now.
The good news is that it is available for download (you have the link in the source link), so if you like it, you can do it immediately and not wait for the launch of the terminal.
Do you have a favorite tune that you would like to see in this selection? Leave us a comment and tell us which mythical musical tone is engraved in your mind forever.
From polytone to high definition
A few years ago, mobile phones could only handle a few simple musical notes, but this was not an impediment to the birth of authentic catchy melodies. Let them tell Nokia. But just as screens got bigger, with better colors and higher resolution, audio also saw tremendous growth, allowing for high-quality music tracks.
From using a .wav file, we went on to use MP3 files downloaded from any corner of the Internet, and everything to end up leaving the default tone that the manufacturer has. Admit it, you are one of them.
Very popular notification sounds
But beyond the ringtones, the arrival of smartphones brought a new branch of sounds that many do not hesitate to customize to their liking. We're talking about app notifications, those little snippets of audio that serve to get your attention and to indicate that you've just received a new WhatsApp message, an SMS, you've been added to Facebook, or that your Amazon order is on its way. Today's operating systems offer many facilities to modify these sounds, since we can use simple .mp3 files so that they are played when the corresponding notification comes in.
This allows many users to make use of specific moments of a song or, in the best of cases, make use of original FX sounds from video games and movies, since these small sound effects are the best when we use them in the notifications. And what sound effects are the most used by users? The vastness of files that exist makes it impossible to know exactly which notification is the most used, but some like the sound of Super Mario coins, Pikachu's scream or some recognizable war cry in a movie.
However, there has also been some mythical sound from the manufacturers:
- samsung whistle: If you lived through the days when everyone started switching to smartphones, you'll remember this awful sound that came on Samsung phones. People back then rarely put their phones on silent, and it was quite common to be on a bus or train and constantly hear this tone.
- Note (Apple): the default tone of the iPhone is also quite common, and it is the one that practically everyone leaves on their terminal. Luckily, it was never as scandalous as Samsung's.
- Oneplus Meet: this simple tone has accompanied OnePlus phones during their long journey as well. It's quite a distinctive sound. So much so that this brand is not one of the most popular on the market, OnePlus fans are often surprised on the street when they discover that there is another supporter of the brand nearby.
- Chime – Pixel Sounds: Although in Android we have had a multitude of different tones, the Google Pixels usually carry this family of tones to differentiate themselves from other phones that use the same operating system.
How to choose the best sound for a notification?
The notification sounds must be short, very clear to hear and especially striking. Notifications are meant to attract attention, but they cannot be turned into extra-long ringtones, as you and those around you will end up desperate. Keep in mind that WhatsApp messages sometimes return dozens of notifications per minute, so an annoying sound that doesn't stop for many seconds can be a horrible experience. Try to find quick sounds of less than a second.
Where to download free ringtones
The age-old question. If you feel the need to change your ringtone because the previous list stirred up old feelings, don't worry. You can download hundreds of ringtones online, but no matter how many years have passed, the demand for ringtones still hides some shady dealings among the many services that offer them. A good option is to use Zedge , an app available for both Android and iOS that lets you instantly install the ringtones you want on your phone.
This service includes a large (practically endless) number of tones shared by the community of users that make it up, so basically you will find anything. If you prefer not to install more applications on your device, you can also access it through its website and use the download button. After a wait of about 10 seconds, the ringtone will start downloading in .mp3 format. Of course, in iOS the process of installing an external tone is somewhat more tedious, so with the official Zedge application you will save a lot of time.