Coverage and certain connectivity issues have led Xiaomi to release a ‘new’ yet ‘old’ technology: a new digital walkie-talkie with a range of up to five kilometers and a screen to modernize it slightly. The device incorporates a 1.57-inch color LED screen with a resolution of 320 x 200 pixels. Furthermore, the device can be connected to Bluetooth headphones and features the Xiaomi Intercom app, which allows you to see the relative position of the person you are speaking with. For example, during a power outage where you can’t communicate via cell service, this device restores communication. Walkie-talkies were very popular among children in the 80s, something that today’s kids can see in series like Stranger Things. An era that seems much more distant than it actually is.
The new device boasts IP54 certification for dust and water resistance, features a 36mm speaker, and the ability to connect headphones via Bluetooth
To provide some context, walkie-talkies, like most of today’s technology, were originally designed for military use. However, they quickly transitioned to civilian use and were very popular with children. Now, the new device also boasts IP54 certification for dust and water resistance, features a 36mm speaker, and the modern innovation is the ability to connect headphones via Bluetooth, as mentioned above. Technically speaking, these devices are pocket-sized radio transmitters/receivers that use radio waves, making radio equipment portable. Initially used in military contexts, this technology, like many other advancements, eventually found its way into everyday life.
To improve call clarity, the device uses the Frequency Division Multiple Access method and operates with an ultra-narrow bandwidth of 6.25 kHz
It’s important to know that with these devices, you can communicate with someone up to five kilometers away outdoors or up to 10,000 square meters indoors. In this case, Xiaomi’s ‘Digital Walkie-Talkie’ model is much thinner than a typical walkie-talkie. And as Xiaomi explains, to improve call clarity, the device uses the FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access) method and operates with an ultra-narrow bandwidth of 6.25 kHz. Furthermore, the screen can display contact information and settings, and the device can also be managed through the Xiaomi Intercom app.
Beyond that, we’re living in a time of longing and nostalgia for the past
Among the interesting details is the fact that the device is powered by a 2,500 mAh battery, and the walkie-talkie boasts a standby time of up to 100 hours or 14 hours of continuous use. It recharges via USB-C and can be used while charging. It’s a device that certainly catches the eye, because almost anything that stands out tends to grab people’s attention. But beyond that, we’re living in a time of longing and nostalgia for the past. Now, with all kinds of information just a click away, there are more mundane things that people are starting to miss. Even younger generations who have grown up with a screen in front of them.
Even with the best technology humanity has ever possessed, there are serious problems facing humanity that remain unresolved
These kinds of devices serve as reminders of a past that seems distant and unlikely to return. Imagination was one of the main escape routes for past generations. Today, AI is tasked with imagining what our minds cannot discover. Times change, that’s a fact. Is the pace at which they have changed in recent years detrimental? Something we will know in a few years when the consequences of current societies are studied. Even with the best technology humanity has ever possessed, there are serious problems facing humanity that remain unresolved. Until then, walkie-talkies remind us that there was another era that, although we didn’t live through it, isn’t so distant and is part of human development.
