AT&T is apparently set to release, sometime in the near future, a new Sony Ericsson handset: the semi-flip W350. We call the phone a "semi-flip" because it's neither a candybar in the usual meaning of the word, nor a true clamshell. The W350 comes with a flip cover that protects its alphanumeric keypad and features external music controls.

The new Sony Ericsson has been spotted on eBay, where a white version of it is being sold on auction. The AT&T logo is clearly visible on the handset, this being the reason why we say that the largest North American carrier will soon be offering it.

For the time being, the eBay auction starts at $160, but it's highly probable that the final price of the W350 will go higher than $300.

You probably already guessed that the new W350 is a Walkman phone. What you can't guess (unless you've seen the phone before) is that it is only an entry level device - despite this, it manages to pack some pretty nice features.

Weighing only 80 grams (2.8 ounces) and measuring 104 x 43 x 10.5 millimeters (4.1 x 1.7 x 0.4 inches), Sony Ericsson W350 brings the following: Walkman player, TrackID music recognition, PlayNow access, FM radio with RDS, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, Media Manager, push e-mail, NetFront browser, Instant Messaging, a 1.9 inch TFT display with 262K colors and 176 x 220 pixels, a 1.3 Megapixel camera with video recording, 3D gaming capabilities, USB 2.0, a 512MB card, tri-band GSM connectivity (850 / 1800 / 1900 MHz for the US), and a battery capable of providing a maximum of 7 hours in talk-time mode or a maximum of 300 hours in stand-by mode.

We don't know yet exactly when AT&T will launch the W350 but, when it does, the Walkman handset should come at a very low price when bought with a contract agreement. This being said, the new phone might becomes as popular as the W580i, which is now offered by the double T carrier in no less than six colors (pink and red included).