Walkie-talkie

A portable two-way radio transceiver that lets users communicate by speaking and listening, usually taking turns on a shared channel.

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Push-to-talk: A control method that transmits audio only while a button or switch is held. Most walkie-talkies use this control to give one person the channel at a time.
Radio frequency: The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum used for radio communication. Walkie-talkies operate within assigned radio-frequency ranges.
Family Radio Service: A license-free personal radio service in the United States using designated UHF channels. Many consumer walkie-talkies are designed to operate on its channels.
Mobile phone: A portable telephone that connects to a cellular network for voice and data communication. Unlike a walkie-talkie, it usually supports simultaneous conversation through network infrastructure.
Frequency modulation: A method of encoding information by varying a carrier wave’s frequency. Many analog walkie-talkies use it to carry speech over radio.
Radio spectrum: The range of electromagnetic frequencies used for radio transmission and reception. Available spectrum determines which frequencies walkie-talkies can use.
General Mobile Radio Service: A licensed personal radio service in the United States that permits higher-power two-way communication. Some walkie-talkies support GMRS for longer-range personal communication.
Cellular network: A radio system of interconnected cell sites that provides mobile communication over a broad area. Walkie-talkies can communicate directly, while cellular phones rely on this network.
Radio receiver: An electronic device that captures radio signals and converts them into usable information. Its circuitry turns the incoming signal into audio heard through the walkie-talkie speaker.
Half-duplex communication: Two-way communication in which each side can transmit, but not simultaneously. It describes the turn-taking behavior of typical walkie-talkies.