Apple Apparently Announcing Ringtones for IPhone on September 5

Apple confirmed with me that it is indeed holding a product announcement event on September 5th, when some have speculated that a new iPod will be unveiled. According to the New York Post, the event will also see the emergence of iPhone ringtones.

The service... would allow users to turn almost any song soldthrough iTunes into a ringtone for an additional fee. The exact pricewas unclear...

One sourcesuggested they will be marketed as enhanced downloads in much the sameway Apple offers high-quality, unprotected music files from EMI. Inthat model, iTunes charges $1.29 for premium EMI tracks vs. 99 centsfor standard song downloads.

Apple will also allow users to convert songs they have previously purchased through iTunes into a ringtone.

In a new twist, iPhone users will have the ability to choose any partof the song they want as their ringtone. Most major ringtone offeringsfrom Verizon, AT&T or Sprint feature pre-determined samples.

For consumers who don't want to design personalized ringtones, Apple will also sell traditional music ringtones.

Of course, anyone with a phone that supports MP3 ringtones can already make their own ringtones
out of any part of a song -- without paying an additional fee -- so thishardly constitutes a "new twist." Ringtones in general, in fact,
already constitute far too new of a twist -- if you've alreadypaid for a song, why should you pay again in order to have it play whensomeone calls you?

I want something like the iPhone that's more like acomputer than a cellphone. My AT&T RAZR lets me load my own MP3
ringtones; it's a shame that the AT&T iPhone takes a step backwardsin that regard, although I have no doubt that whatever gets announcedon 9/5 will elicit the requisite oohs and aahs.

(image from BMI)