My search for the perfect mobile phone ringer

I was on the Sprint website when I saw, “Get a free ringer on us” flashing in huge, bold letters. Simple enough, or so I thought. Personalized ringers have become extremely popular over the past few years. It’s a fun, quick and easy, but not so cheap way to add personality to what is normally a boring device. With rates starting at $2.50 per ringer, the carriers are making millions.

Playing with all of the features of my new Centro Smartphone has taken up more time than I’d like to admit. What’s not to like with features such as TV (yes, tv), radio, MP3 player, internet, email, text messaging, voice recorder, games, calendar, task list…ok, I’ll stop. I’ve had the phone for only 4 days and I’m already addicted.

I clicked on the link and my search for a free ringer began. The number of songs available was overwhelming. I started browsing in the pop music category. 20 minutes later I had not found a ringer and was browsing in the “what’s new” category. Then the “indie” category. Then I discovered the search functionality and searched for all of my favorite bands and songs.

An hour later, I was no where closer to finding a ringer that I wanted. It’s clear that I put far too much thought into a free ringer. I liked some of the R&B ringers, but thought there vulgarness may cause some to stare. Then I found "Soul Meets Body", one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands, Death Cab For Cutie. I was temporarily elated – that is, until I gave it more thought. I was cautious to select a song that I really liked; fearing that hearing it every time I get a call would induce ambivalence.

Still, after more thought, I decided to select a ringer from the house music section. I figured it would be more difficult to become bored of a house song. The house genera offered many tempting selections. I could have selected "Put Your Hands Up for Detroit" by Fredde Le Grand, but I would have thought about my friend Keyan every time I heard it. Nothing against Keyan, but that would be too much Keyan. I found “Love Generation by Bob Sinclar, but I was not certain if I could handle the intense memories it would be sure to induce. I heard it live at Infinita during my trip to Madrid this summer. That trip was probably the peak of my summer and I didn't know if I could handle the intensity of reliving those feeling with every call, nor did I want to diminish the importance through boredom.

In the end, I settled on “Exeeder” by Mason. It’s neutral, yet makes me think of my amazing experiences in London It’s not perfect, but it works.

What ringer do you have on your phone, and what does that communicate about your personality?