Explore The History
Of The Ringtone
From the switchboards of the 1870s to the touchtone phones of the 1960s, all the way up to today’s Smartphones that boast technology well beyond anything Alexander Graham Bell could have imagined – every phone makes a sound. Take a stroll through the history of ringtones and listen for yourself.
1870sBell's first telephone
Mr. Watson, come here.
The first telephone call ever placed was recorded on March 10, 1876. Alexander Graham Bell called his assistant, Mr. Thomas Watson, and said those famous first words. Although credit for the invention is much disputed, Bell’s telephone patent has been called the most valuable patent ever issued.
1870sswitchboard
Switchboard Sally, not Stan.
Did you know that the first switchboard operators were boys? At first, it seemed like a good idea. They were so good at telegraphy that it would be a natural transition. But their lack of patience and “colorful” language proved to be unacceptable for live phone contact. It wasn’t long before women were hired.
1890S
Crank phone
I can’t hear you. What’d you say? Crank it up!
Hand crank phones were the first consumer telephones, which worked by electrical generators that used magnets to create electric current. Turning the crank rotated the “magneto,” causing a bell to ring that would alert the operator or another party on the line that an individual wanted to make a call.
Candlestick phone
Alexander Bell, in the lab, with the candlestick.
The candlestick phone was more streamlined, and certainly way better looking than those bulky wooden hand-crank wall phones. In the early 1900s, many companies produced beautiful candlestick phones. Problem was, non-Bell Telephones didn’t work with the Bell System. And that spelled failure. Whoops!
Cradle phone
Did you just say sawed-off telephone?
Did you know that the first cradle phone was actually a sawed-off candlestick phone that was fitted with a cradle and receiver handset? Clever! Following that ingenious design choice by Bell, candlestick phones (also known as upright, desk stand, or stick phones) were out, and desktop cradle phones were in!
1960s
1970s
1980s
Motorola DynaTAC 8000X
List of ringtones
Motorola MicroTAC 9800X
List of ringtones
Motorola International 3200
List of ringtones
Nokia 1011
List of ringtones
BellSouth-IBM Simon Personal Communicator
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
BellSouth-IBM Simon Personal Communicator! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Nokia 1610
List of ringtones
Motorola StarTAC 60 million sold
Motorola D160
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Motorola D160! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Motorola Montreal
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Motorola Montreal! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Samsung SPH-M100 Uproar
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Samsung SPH-M100 Uproar! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Nokia 3210 160 million sold
List of ringtones
- Auld Lang Syne
- Bee
- Bossa Nova
- Brave Scotland
- Bumble Bee
- Charleston
- Chase
- City Bird
- Cladoceran
- Entertainer
- Four Seasons
- Fuga
- Fusion
- Happy Return
- Hip Hop
- Intro
- Jingle Bells
- Jumping
- Kick
- Low
- Matilda
- Menuet
- Mexican Hat Dance
- Mosquito
- Nokia Tune
- Orient
- Playground
- Polska
- Reveille
- Ring Ring
- Rocket
- Salsa
- Samba
- That's It
- Valkyrie
- William Tell
Nokia 3310 126 million sold
Nokia 8890 15 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia 8890! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Siemens M35i 15 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Siemens M35i! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Siemens M30 15 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Siemens M30! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Ericsson T39
Nokia 5510
List of ringtones
NokiaTop selling Nokia Model
Nokia 6100 15 million sold
List of ringtones
Other Nokia Models
Nokia 6610 15 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia 6610! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Nokia 3510 15 million sold
List of ringtones
Samsung SGH-T100 12 million sold
List of ringtones
- A Heart of Woman
- Bell 1
- Bell 2
- Bell 3
- Bell 4
- Bird
- Bossa Nova
- Brindisi
- Can Can
- Cannon
- Carmen
- Chatshow
- Csikospost
- Desire
- Die Forelle
- Drum N Bass
- Eine Kleine Nacht Musik
- Flower
- Gavotte
- Hot Funk
- Hungary
- Jazz Funk
- Love Motion
- Minuet Bach
- Moonlight
- New World Symphony
- Ocean
- Pathetique
- Polonaise
- Radetzky March
- Rainbow Circuit
- Russia
- Salsa
- Santa Lucia
- Serenade
- Song of Matador
- Sweetness
- Symphony 40
- The Queen of Night
- Triumphal March
- Turkey March
- Wedding March
Siemens A50 15 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Siemens A50! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
NokiaTop selling Nokia Model
Nokia 1100 250 million sold
List of ringtones
- Badinerie
- Caprice
- City Bird
- Crickety
- Critter
- Dizzy
- Entertainer
- Espionage
- Etude
- Fuga
- Going Up
- Groovy Blue
- Hopping Down
- Intro
- Jingle Bells
- Jumping
- Kick
- Long Scale
- Menuet
- Merry X-Mas
- Mexican Hat Dance
- Nokia Tune
- Persuasion
- Playground
- Polska
- Rap Trap
- Rocket
- Rote
- Samba
- Spiral
- Tap Dance
- Tchaikovsky
- Techno
- Toreador
- Trio
- William Tell
Other Nokia Models
Nokia 3100 50 million sold
List of ringtones
- Ringtone 1
- Ringtone 2
- Ringtone 3
- Ringtone 4
- Ringtone 5
- Ringtone 6
- Ringtone 7
- Ringtone 8
- Ringtone 9
- Ringtone 10
- Ringtone 11
- Ringtone 12
- Ringtone 13
- Ringtone 14
- Ringtone 15
- Ringtone 16
- Ringtone 17
- Ringtone 18
- Ringtone 19
- Ringtone 20
- Ringtone 21
- Ringtone 22
- Ringtone 23
- Ringtone 24
- Ringtone 25
- Ringtone 26
- Ringtone 27
- Ringtone 28
- Ringtone 29
- Ringtone 30
- Ringtone 31
- Ringtone 32
- Ringtone 33
- Ringtone 34
- Ringtone 35
- Ringtone 36
Nokia 3120 50 million sold
List of ringtones
- Ringtone 1
- Ringtone 2
- Ringtone 3
- Ringtone 4
- Ringtone 5
- Ringtone 6
- Ringtone 7
- Ringtone 8
- Ringtone 9
- Ringtone 10
- Ringtone 11
- Ringtone 12
- Ringtone 13
- Ringtone 14
- Ringtone 15
- Ringtone 16
- Ringtone 17
- Ringtone 18
- Ringtone 19
- Ringtone 20
- Ringtone 21
- Ringtone 22
- Ringtone 23
- Ringtone 24
- Ringtone 25
- Ringtone 26
Nokia 3200 30 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia 3200! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Samsung SGH-E700 15 million sold
List of ringtones
- Ringtone 1
- Ringtone 2
- Ringtone 3
- Ringtone 4
- Ringtone 5
- Ringtone 6
- Ringtone 7
- Ringtone 8
- Ringtone 9
- Ringtone 10
- Ringtone 11
- Ringtone 12
- Ringtone 13
- Ringtone 14
- Ringtone 15
- Ringtone 16
- Ringtone 17
- Ringtone 18
- Ringtone 19
- Ringtone 20
- Ringtone 21
- Ringtone 22
- Ringtone 23
- Ringtone 24
- Ringtone 25
- Ringtone 26
- Ringtone 27
- Ringtone 28
- Ringtone 29
- Ringtone 30
- Ringtone 31
- Ringtone 32
- Ringtone 33
- Ringtone 34
- Ringtone 35
- Ringtone 36
- Ringtone 37
- Ringtone 38
- Ringtone 39
- Ringtone 40
NokiaTop selling Nokia Model
Nokia 2600 135 million sold
List of ringtones
Other Nokia Models
Nokia 2610 135 million sold
Nokia 2626 135 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia 2626! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Motorola RAZR V3 130 million sold
Other Nokia Models
Nokia N70 45 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia N70! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
NokiaTop selling Nokia Model
Other Nokia Models
Nokia 1650 130 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia 1650! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Nokia 1661 130 million sold
List of ringtones
MotorolaTop selling Motorola Model
Motorola PEBL U6 15 million sold
List of ringtones
- Ambient Mood
- Bells
- Bits & Bytes
- Chimes high
- Chimes low
- Chord high
- Chord low
- Claps
- Cocktail
- Cosmic
- Ding
- Door Bell
- Drum
- Energized
- Espresso
- Exposé
- Fanfare
- Flare
- Harmonie
- Illumination
- Intermezzo
- Kaleidoscope
- Lava
- Luna
- Mania
- Moonlit Haze
- Moto
- Notify
- Onyx
- Provincial
- Random
- SignalTyp
- Snaggle
- Standard
- Starburst
- TaDa
- Triade
- Up and Down
- Wind Chime
Other Motorola Models
Motorola KRZR K1 15 million sold
2006
NokiaTop selling Nokia Model
Other Nokia Models
Nokia 1208 100 million sold
List of ringtones
SamsungTop selling Samsung Model
Samsung SGH-E250 30 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Samsung SGH-E250! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
2007
AppleTop selling Apple Model
Apple iPhone 3G 35 million sold
NokiaTop selling Nokia Model
Other Nokia Models
Nokia 2330 15 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia 2330! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
2008
AppleTop selling Apple Model
Apple iPhone 3GS 55 million sold
NokiaTop selling Nokia Model
Nokia 2700 Classic 20 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia 2700 Classic! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
Other Nokia Models
Nokia 6303 15 million sold
List of ringtones
We don’t have any ringtones for the
Nokia 6303! Want to contribute?
Click here to contact us
2009
NokiaTop selling Nokia Model
Nokia 5230 6 million sold
Other Nokia Models
Nokia N8 15 million sold
List of ringtones
AppleTop selling Apple Model
Apple iPhone 4 40 million sold
2010
AppleTop selling Apple Model
Apple iPhone 4S 60 million sold
SamsungTop selling Samsung Model
Samsung Galaxy S II 20 million sold
Other Samsung Models
Samsung Galaxy Y 15 million sold
2011
SamsungTop selling Samsung Model
Samsung Galaxy S3 60 million sold
List of ringtones
- Bird Song by the Lake
- Blowing Dandelion Seeds
- Bugs Story
- Desert Sunrise
- Drifting Downstream
- Eagles Call
- Fairy Fountain
- Fog on the Water
- Gentle Spring Rain
- Heartbeat of the Wild
- High Tide
- Jungle Dreams
- Jungle Trek
- Midnight Picnic
- Moonlit Beach
- Moonlit Reminiscences
- Mother Nature
- Mountain Temple
- Nighttime Oasis
- Over the Horizon
- Raindrops
- Rays of the Sun
- Sea Breeze
- Sea Side
- Sparkling Mist
- The Journey Begins
- The Secret Forest
- Tribal Summoning
- Underground Pool
- Underwater World
- Walk on the Seaside
AppleTop selling Apple Model
2012
AppleTop selling Apple Model
SamsungTop selling Samsung Model
Samsung Galaxy S4 over 40 million sold
List of ringtones
- Basic Bell
- Basic Tone
- Beep Beep
- Beep Once
- Blowing Dandelion Seeds
- Break of Day
- Breeze
- Bugs Story
- Chime
- Clouds at Sunset
- Dawn
- Deep Blue Sky
- Drifting Downstream
- Ecliptic
- Flying in the Sky
- Fog on the Water
- Gentle Spring Rain
- Glissando Tone
- Guitar
- Ice Blue Tone
- In Your Mind
- Journey
- Leisure Time
- Over the Horizon
- Popcorn Tone
- Rainbow
- Rainy Day
- Rays of the Sun
- Rolling Tone
- A Rustling in the Trees
- Scampering Tone
- Spring of Hope
2013
2005
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
50 Cent
Candy Shop
-
Lil Jon & East Side Boyz
Lovers and Friends
-
Super Mario Brothers
Game Theme
-
50 Cent
Just a Lil Bit
-
Snoop Dogg
Drop It Like It’s Hot
-
Ying Yang Twins
Wait (The Whisper Song)
-
Ciara
One, Two Step (feat. Missy Elliott)
-
Movie Theme
Halloween
-
Kanye West
Gold Digger (feat. Jamie Foxx)
-
Mariah Carey
We Belong Together
2006
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
Game Theme
Super Mario Brothers
-
Black Eyed Peas
My Humps
-
Nelly
Grillz
-
Bubba Sparxxx
Ms. New Booty
-
D4L
Laffy Taffy
-
Henry Mancini and His Orchestra & Chorus
Pink Panther Theme
-
Kanye West
Gold Digger (feat. Jamie Foxx)
-
Movie Theme
Halloween
-
Movie Theme
Mission Impossible
-
50 Cent
Candy Shop
2007
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
T-Pain
Buy U A Drank
-
Mims
This is Why I’m Hot
-
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em
Crank That (Soulja Boy)
-
Shop Boyz
Party Like a Rock Star
-
Akon
Don’t Matter
-
Huey
Pop, Lock, & Drop It
-
Hurricane Chris
A Bay Bay
-
Sean Kingston
Beautiful Girls
-
Nickelback
Rockstar
-
Plies featuring T-Pain
Shawty
2008
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
Grupo Montez
Adios Amor Te Vas
-
Koji Kondo
Super Mario Brothers
-
Henry Mancini
Pink Panther
-
50 Cent
Candy Shop
-
Afroman
Because I Got High
-
Soulja Boy
Crank Dat Soulja Boy
-
Nickelback
Rockstar
-
50 Cent
Best Friend
-
2 Pac
I Ain’t Mad At Cha
-
J Holiday
Bed
2009
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
Kings of Leon
Sex On Fire
-
Lady Gaga
Poker Face
-
Black Eyed Peas
I Gotta Feeling
-
Cheryl Cole
Fight For This Love
-
Alexandra Burke
Bad Boys
-
Black Eyed Peas
Meet Me Halfway
-
Black Eyed Peas
Boom Boom Pow
-
Flo Rida
Right Round
-
Lady Gaga
Just Dance
-
The Killers
Human
2010
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
Eminem
Love The Way You Lie
-
Matt Cardle
When We Collide
-
Bruno Mars
Just The Way You Are
-
Rihanna
Only Girl In The World
-
Usher
OMG
-
B.o.B
Airplanes
-
Kary Perry
California Gurls
-
Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP
We Speak No Americano
-
Tinie Tempah
Pass Out
-
Cee Lo Green
Forget You
2011
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
Jason Aldean
Dirt Road Anthem
-
Lil Wayne
How to Love
-
LMFAO
Sexy & I Know It
-
Blake Shelton
God Gave Me You
-
Chris Brown
Look At Me Now
-
Wiz Khalifa
Black & Yellow
-
Katy Perry
E.T.
-
Bruno Mars
The Lazy Song
-
Bruno Mars
Grenade
-
Waka Flocka Flame
No Hands
2012
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
LMFAO
Sexy & I Know It
-
Carly Rae Jepsen
Call Me Maybe
-
Little Big Town
Pontoon
-
Flo Rida
Whistle
-
PSY
Gangnam Style
-
Goyte
Somebody That I Used to Know
-
Florida Georgia Line
Cruise
-
Adele
Rolling in the Deep
-
Luke Bryan
Drunk On You
-
Toby Keith
Red Solo Cup
2013
TOP 10 RINGTONES
-
Macklemore & R. Lewis
Thrift Shop
-
Lorde
Royals
-
Robin Thicke
Blurred Lines
-
Katy Perry
Roar
-
Florida Georgia Line
Cruise
-
Alicia Keys
Girl On Fire
-
Blake Shelton
Boys ‘Round Here
-
PSY
Gangnam Style
-
Imagine Dragons
Radioactive
-
Luke Bryan
That’s My Kind of Night