need help

Hello forum, im new here. Sorry if i ask questions thats already been stated before. Anyways, im trying to decide on a new cell phone. I will be purchasing this weekend.

Anyways, the phone choices are the Motorola a630 (or was it, a650?) and the Sidekick 2

I have been trying to do my research on the two phones, and to be honest, they both seem to offer the same capabilities. I dont know which one takes the cake in the end though.

I like both designs. Really dont mind the smaller keyboard on the a630. But how much smaller is the actual screen compared to the sidekick2?

Another thing, i have done a lil research and it seems like some people complain alot about their sidekick breaking and not working properly. Is that true due to a design flaw of some sort or is it 9x out of 10x user neglect?

Anyways, basically when it boils down to it. i will be text messaging/instant messaging alot and using my device as a actual phone. I dont want to buy something that is going to tear up easily. Oh, and i would love to have something i could customize. Like buy ringtones for and have the actual music clips.

Anyways, thanks in advanced for the people who will help me in choosing a new phone

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Well let's see what we have here... compare apples to apples.

Motorola A630

*Physical characteristics*
Size: 3.9" x 1.8" x 0.9"
Weight: 4.3 oz
Color display: Yes 1.8" landscape colour 65K 16 bit 176 x 220 px TFT +1 on front 96 x 48 px
Keyboard: Querty (compact but with plenty of space between keys)

*Wireless Network Capability*
WAP 2.0 GPRS Tri Band

*Battery*
Battery: 820 mAh Li-Ion
Talk Time: 4.3 hours
Standby Time: 212 hours

*Other Features*
Speakerphone: Yes
Digital Camera: Yes CMOS 4x zoom (no flash)
Bluetooth-Enabled: Yes
Snap-on Faceplates or Covers: No
Downloadable ringtones: Yes
Photo caller ID capable: Yes
Downloadable games: Yes
PC Sync: Yes
Phone Book Capacity: 1000 names/ numbers, speed dial 9 names
Vibrating alert: Yes
Voice-Activated Dialing: Yes
Ring Tones: 24 chords MP3 Midi polyphonic
Lines Displayed: 240 x 160 LCD
Wireless Web Browsing: Yes Wap 2.0 No HTML
Text Messaging Capable Yes
mp3 player: No
Java-enabled: Yes J2ME VCLDC 1.0 MIDP 2.0
FM Radio: Accessory
Games: Yes (somewhat limited imo)
Price: 149

http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/pro.../0,,66,00.html



Sidekick II

*Physical characteristics*
Size: 5.0" x 2.6" x 0.9"
Weight: 6.5 oz
Colour display: Yes
Keyboard: Flip out Querty

*Wireless Network Capability*
GSM 900/1800/1900; GPRS, Tri band

*Battery*
Battery: 1x Lithium Ion battery
Talk Time: 240 minutes
Standby Time: 60 hours

*Other Features*
Speakerphone: Yes
Digital Camera: Yes
Bluetooth-Enabled: No
Snap-on Faceplates or Covers: No
Downloadable ringtones: Yes
Photo caller ID capable: Yes
Downloadable games: Yes
PC Sync: No
Phone Book Capacity: 2000 names/numbers
Vibrating alert: Yes
Voice-Activated Dialing: No
Ring Tones: 16 polyphonic ring tones, 7 Chimes (included)
Lines Displayed: 240 x 160 LCD
Wireless Web Browsing: Yes
Text Messaging Capable Yes
mp3 player: No
Java-enabled: Yes
FM Radio: No
Games: Yes (somewhat limited imo)
Price: 199


They both seem to be pretty cool phones... there are more fun features than listed here but it really depends on what you want... major differences? the Sidekick is quite a bit larger and weighs more, the Motorola looks more like a phone with number dialing capabilities on the outerside of the clamshell, only the Motorola offers voice activated dialing (great for emergencies or when you're on the road or otherwise need your hands free), the overal capacity on the Sidekick doubles that of the Motorola, I recommend the Sidekick if you plan on using it online a lot as the Motorola is a bit limiting in that respect ... but if you want to use it more as a phone then go with the Motorola. It really just depends on what is the most important to you... I hope this helps you.

Thanks for the breakdown. Last night i tried writing all that down, but it was late and i was tired and couldnt focus right. Anyways, i was leaning towards the sidekick. Because i dont mind the bulkyness of it at all. I do plan on using my phone feature often but i also plan on using the web browser often also. Im a 19year old college student. Reason for me wanting this phone is because my g/f goes to college in Huntsville, AL and i live in Chattanooga, TN. I want it for when im on the road to go visit her, incase of some sort of emergency. Not to mention, a better way to communicate with her. Say if she dont want to use up her whenever minutes, we could also chat. Especially if im away from my computer. So I do see me using both features alot. Not only with her, but my cousin is trying to get a record deal and im one of those guys "behind the scenes" who is in charge of spreading his music via online so i do alot of chatting with different people concerning that.
Only thing that was making me lean towards the Motorola was because of the bluetooth thingy. I quite dont know exactly what it is, i read in one forum how one guy said he will never own a cell phone again without it. So i figured it was a pretty darn good thing. Also the fact that i want my actual music on my phone for ringtones, and i heard that the sidekick could only download ringtones from its catalog so it was limited. But then again, i have been coming across people who find ways to get other ring tones on their phone.
Oh well, as you can see, im very confused. I need to make up my mind before the promo sale ends the 31st though. Thanks for the help though man....

Anyone else have any experiences? or advice?

for what it's worth, in layman's terms, the screen on the SK 2 is about two full times + larger than the motorola.

so the person who posted before is right. moto for phone, sk if you're going to use chat/net a lot.

I have the SK 2 and it's been great so far. i can hear people well and they can hear me well. the speakerphone on it seems to work beautifully for me. the browser can be a little slow but you have to remember that it's "internet to go" so patience is key. no unit will make the net service faster. that has to do with your gprs signal anyway, not the phone itself.

the most important thing to keep in mind though is when chatting on aim, each message comes off your text msg limit so if you plan on chatting a lot, get unlimited text msgs.

and don't take this the wrong way, but just be careful when chatting and driving (not at all encouraged). i'm sure your gf would rather not talk to you for a couple of hours than never talk to you again!