Despite a sceptical greeting and a slow acceptance in the 80s, mobile phones have had one of the largest changes on society of any recent gadget. Initially derided as a status symbol for yuppies and stock brokers, large scale production swiftly moved them from flashy status symbol, to must have gadget, to commonplace appliance.
As mobile phones became smaller, cheaper, and simpler to use, more and more people began to use them. Even as they became every day items, carried around as an essential along with our car keys and purse, the miniature computers inside them become more and more .
These massive increases in computing capability allowed the manufacturers and carriers to start offering customisation options, allowing users to customise their own phones with clip on covers, wallpaper pictures to display on screen - and funny ring tones.
Initially only basic UK ringtones were available, using a limited range of sounds to play the sort of tacky tune you’d expect to hear as hold music. However, manufacturers soon realised how popular UK ringtones were, and so started to add more complex audio hardware to their phones.
Mobile phones can now play complete CD quality songs and sound effects, and be modified to play a specific tune for a group of people, as well as when recieving a text message or other alarm. The once bulky and limited status symbols have now changed into desirable hand held computers, combining PDA and mobile sound system.