Cell phones could soon turn into sell phones

Comparison shopping could be the next big thing for the multi-use devices

In an age where cell phones have become the ultimate multitasking device, a handful of entrepreneurs are hoping to add another use: comparison shopping.

Manhattan-based Scanbuy offers a similar application for cell-phone users who have an unlimited data plan.

The niche of people using these services is still small, but the companies are eyeing an ever-growing population of cell-phone users who are becoming increasingly accustomed to accessing the Internet on their phones. In a December survey by the NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y., market-research company, 40 percent of subscribers had some form of data plan, and of those browsing the Internet on their cell phones, 75 percent visited either eBay or Amazon.com.