FRS On A Smartphone
Thank you for the replies. I still think it would be quite handy if some cell phone manufacturer built in an off-network simplex feature, much like the old Nextel Direct Talk, that would allow short range off-network communications. I know it isn't likely to happen, but I still think it would be sweet.
What it might take is some company that makes smartphones that aren't designed for carrier subsidy. For example, a Sonim or Cat phone, that people by separate from the carrier, would be a great way to get a phone with built in simplex. It would be a great feature to market to certain groups that could benefit from this. Say a construction crew has half a dozen people working in a relatively local area less than a mile apart from one another. Having a way to chirp directly,without dialing up, would be quite handy.