Apple fans that purchase the iPhone X will get an extra tree when devices finally start arriving later this week: an exclusive ringtone.
Bundled inside the software for the iPhone X is an all-new ringtone called “Reflection.” The song has a melody that is somewhat similar to the iconic “Marimba” ringtone that launched with the original iPhone.
You've never heard Marimba like this. Photo: Seth Kranzler
Apple’s iconic Marimba ringtone has been remixed a countlessnumber of times since the original iPhone came out, but a new remix inspired by composer Steve Reich will leave you totally hypnotized.
Created by artist Seth Kranzler, “Marimba Ringtone Phase” replicates Reich’s style by playing the ringtone on two iPhones ringing at slightly different tempos. The trippy effect puts an all-new spin on a classic tune.
Tony Ann is a master at piano remixes. Photo: Tony Ann
The iPhone’s classic marimba ringtone has grown a bit annoying after nine years of playing in pockets across the globe. We’ve seen the classic tone remixed a ton of different ways, but perhaps none are better than this classical remix cooked up by musician Tony Ann.
The pianist has recreated the most popular ringtones ever into one incredible classic arrangement that includes some little gems from other carriers and cellphone makers that you’ll recognize instantly.
'Marimba' makes a great metal song. Photo: ToxicEternity
The iPhone’s “Marimba” ringtone has become one of the most common sounds you hear everyday, and if you’ve owned an iPhone for a while, it’s downright annoying.
Sure, the ringtone is somehow able to distill Apple’s light and whimsical platform into just a few notes played on an African xylophone. But after nine years, the iPhone’s iconic ringtone could use an update to give it a little more edge.
Video game guitarist ToxicEternity has created a metal cover of Apple’s most popular iPhone ringtones and he shreds so hard it just might melt your face.
One of the few surprise announcements from yesterday’s keynote was that iOS 7 will come with a completely new set of ringtones and alert tones. That’s right, Marimba is finally in exile after annoying the living shit out of us for six long years.
The new ringtones and alert tones were included in the latest iOS 7 GM that was seeded to developers yesterday afternoon, and while Marimba and its old ringtone buddies are still available under the “Classics” options in iOS 7, the new ringtones and alert tones seem to fit better with the new iOS aesthetics.
You can listen to all the new ringtones in the video above, or check out the new alert tones in the video below:
You don’t have to spend too much time in a public place before you hear the iPhone’s default “tri-tone” alert — it’s everywhere, and everyone knows exactly what it means. But do you know where it came from? You might be surprised to hear that it wasn’t actually composed for the iPhone, but for a 1998 MP3 player for the Mac called SoundJam MP.
Da-duh-duh-da-duh-duh-da-DUH-duh. So goes the familiar tune of the iPhone’s default Marimba ringtone, as recognizable (and yet not nearly as annoying) as Nokia’s Gran Vals.
And yet what if you want to mix things up a little, but not too much? Greg Pierce, the wonder-developer at Agile Tortoise – responsible for Drafts, Terminology and others – has done the hard work for you, re-rendering iOS’ alert sounds on acoustic guitar.
Remember that incredible remix of the Marimba iPhone remix from earlier today? When I originally posted it, I suggested it’d make an incredible music track for an official Apple ad. Little did I think that Cult of Mac reader Ryan Simmons would actually edit one together for us, using footage from previous Apple iPhone ads.
Fantastic. Ditch John Malkovich, Apple… go with Marimba.
The iPhone Marimba ringtone is iconic. It’s just a few notes played on an African xylophone, but somehow, it captures everything that is light and breezy about Apple’s platform.
The problem is, everyone uses it as a ringtone. Like Nokia’s overexposed ringtone before it, Marimba’s musical resonance has been oversaturated for most of us.
That’s why I really like the Marimba Take Two mix by Will Neaverson, embedded above. It takes the original Marimba and builds layers upon it, until it almost sounds like a Coldplay track.
As one of Reddit’s commenters note, it sounds so good, you can imagine Apple even using it in a commercial. That’s an ad I’d like to see. (Update: One of our readers made one!)