Everyone is going bonkers for Apple’s highly antcipated next-gen iPhone thought to be announced sometime within the next week. Yet many have forgotten the other killer smartphone. Android.

Android is the operating system brought to you by the good folks in Mountain View from Google. Google acquired the small Silicon Valley company, Android, and took its remarkable phone operating system to the next level. To encourage developers, Google created the Android Developer Challenge. With a $10,000 loot to be had for third round winners, many incredible applications where submitted. One such application, Android Scanner, was one of the 50 lucky winners.

Android Scan does what that Radio Shacks CueCat from the early 2000’s did. But unlike CueCat, you’re not tethered to your computer and the bar code scanned gives immediate results for that product. These results can vary from showing a list of online and nearby brick-and-mortar stores that have the item scanned. Tap on the selection and either be taken to the online store or the option to call the nearby store comes up. Android Scan even will give results at nearby libraries!

Android Scan has to be seen to appreciate its power. What this could mean for many shoppers is the power to find the best deal, either online or on-street, at a moments notice. If you find yourself at Best Buy wondering if that latest CD (do you still buy CDs? ) is too expensive, you’ll now be able to see if it’s cheaper else where. Right there in the store! Of course, you’ll need to have an Android running phone, though.

So, will we find Android Scan on the iPhone? Maybe. The author, Jeffrey Sharkey, has stated he will release the code as open source. That leaves the door open for the iPhone; however, open source usually means not-for-profit and that could be a sticky point with the iPhone Appstore. Still, Apple has stated not all iPhone applications have to be in the Appstore and thus Android Scan could be distributed through other channels that do not require payment.

Android Scan is a fine application that will surely be a killer app that will help define the power of the upcoming “Google Phone”.