Anyone with the brand-new Apple iPhone can appreciate their ringtone option: purchase exclusively through iTunes for $.99 a piece, tack on a few pennies here and there, and get your ringtone for under $2. However, a conflict is brewing amongst cell phone providers as companies such as T-Mobile and Verizon charge $2.50-$3 and up for individual ringtone downloads.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out the animosity various mobile phone providers may be feeling toward Apple in general. Not only do iPhone users have access to a high-tech, groundbreaking cell phone, they can incorporate all forms of multimedia and entertaining features into their mobile devices. As the phones themselves skyrocket in sales, it leaves many wondering how the ringtone industry will be affected.
With individual carrier costs taking a chunk of change out of cell phone users' pockets each time they download a ringtone, many are utilizing ringtone services. Companies such as DadaMobile charge a monthly subscription rate whereby members can download unlimited ringtones, games and even bonus SMS messaging capabilities.
DadaMobile and Blinko provide ringtone service to all sorts of carriers, from Cingular and Verizon to T-Mobile and Nextel. Those of us who don't have access to iTunes by way of the iPhone can have an equally diverse ringtone collection, all while saving money by bypassing individual ringtone purchases through our mobile provider. If you find yourself changing your ringtones periodically throughout any given week, your best bet would be to sign up for a third party ring tone service.
