Either ways the word ring tone would do justice to the way the incoming tune on one's mobile phone sounded once upon a time. And now the mobile phone ring tones have come a long way from the pre-historic times of 'ring ring', to the slightly more upbeat monotones, then over the years having graduated to polyphonic ring tones, and finally MP3 ring tones seem to be the new sweet music for the ears of the masses today.

Mobile phones have permeated into our lives in a way that makes them indispensable to our living. And this is what makes them most susceptible to constant technological innovation. Wireless transfers through Infrared, Bluetooth and WAP, high resolution cameras, video recording and playback softwares, MP3 players, and gaming softwares. Mobile phone evolution has spanned across it all; and opportunists are trying harder than ever to spruce their evolutions which might barely be a couple of months old. But they are not to blame. If there is only that much that can be packed into a mobile device, and if there is a constant demand for up gradation from the consumers, then manufacturers have little choice but to relent.

Mobile phones could be accessorized through softwares as mentioned before and also through external features such as phone casing, phone charms and trinkets, and flashing stickers. However, the latest on the block is an updated internal feature that scores over all the other external features because of its 'loud' character. Name ring tones. A yet another version of mobile phone ring tones towards personalization.

Name ring tones are what actually call out the name of the person calling at that point in time on a particular person's phone. These ring tones in turn can then be assigned to that person's name in the mobile phonebook. Therefore there is customization of the ring tone that plays for each caller. These ring tones can be downloaded from several websites that provide such services either for free or for a price. It is easier to find common names pre-recorded, however one can always create their own name ring tone through the softwares available on these websites. Depending on the service offered, these ring tones can then be downloaded on to the mobile phone using a direct messaging service wherein once the mobile number is fed on to the website, the ring tone is received on to the mobile phone handset within a couple of minutes. These services are generally charged. On the other hand wireless enabled devices with Infrared, Bluetooth, and/or WAP can receive these ring tones almost instantly by using one of these softwares.

Name ring tones lend the convenience factor to the users because they allow the users to identify before hand who is calling them. It's almost as if their phone were talking to them. Today, with the increasing demand for unique mobile phone ring tones, it does become increasingly difficult to have a ring tone that nobody else would have. But with a name ring tone there are very few chances of another mobile phone around a person, ringing with the same ring tone at the same time. This truly serves the purpose of having a fancy ring tone that allows the user to distinguish his or her call from other incoming calls on other mobile phones.

Name ring tones are happening in a big way and reports say that they are definitely a more popular accessory than colourful cases, fancy key pads, wall papers, and flashing logos.