There are lots of websites that offer ringtone downloads. However, mobile users face the risk of contracting a trojan or virus if they download ringtones online. In addition, there are other serious risks involved: hidden charges from downloading a ringtone and the possibility that your credit card information will be hacked by fraudulent individuals.

Those Internet sites that require your credit card information should not be trusted that easily to avoid getting your credit card information stolen. Though there are legitimate sites that offer free download of ringtones, these ringtones are usually single tones only. Also, the choices of mobile users are very limited from these websites.

Mobile users have other options to download ringtones. One, they can do it through the Wireless Application Protocol or WAP function of their mobile phone. The WAP function is designed to provide convenience to mobile users. With just a few strokes of the fingertips, a mobile user can surf the Internet.

Usually, a mobile user is charged per connection time to the WAP Internet. It is more costly than surfing for a ringtone through cable or wi-fi internet connections. The surfing and downloading speed is also slower. The convenience of the mobile Internet, on the other hand, can not be disregarded. Safety from virus and trojan attacks is also offered aside from free browsing when the website of the mobile service provider is accessed.

Two, mobile users also have also the option to download ringtones directly from the kiosks of mobile service providers. Mobile kiosks are available in wireless centers for use by mobile users. These kiosks do not only offer downloads of ringtones; wallpapers, themes and other services can be accessed from these stand-alone customer service machines. If mobile users have no idea of a particular service, a customer service representative is readily available to assist and explain the service.

Mobile users can also download ringtones from other mobile users through the infra-red or bluetooth wireless connection. Infra-red wireless connection is shorter in range compared to bluetooth. Also, infra-red requires necessary alignment of the source mobile phone to the recipient mobile phone for transfer. The bluetooth, on the other hand, is a newer technology that has a wider range and there is no necessary alignment to be done.

As newer functions and capabilities of mobile phones are introduced, we can be assured of more convenience in store for mobile user. However, even if the technology gets more advanced, trojan, virus and hack attacks will never disappear. So, even there are lots of options available for mobile user to be able to download ringtones online, extra caution should be observed at all times.