A new device for iOS and Android users will turn a smartphone into a walkie-talkie even if there is no reception from the phone's network carrier.

The device, called goTenna, pairs with phones using Bluetooth and allows communication between two people, just the way old-fashioned walkie-talkies worked, according to Yahoo.

The inspiration for the new devices was found by the creator after reflecting on the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and New York, according to Wired.

Creator Daniela Perdomo told Wired, I was thinking, "Is there any way to make cell phones communicate, so even in the worst case scenario, like Sandy, when you have no power or Wi-Fi, you can still communicate? The only thing that does that is Bluetooth, and for that, you have to be within 20 feet, so you might as well just speak loudly. "

Perdomo came up with a sketch of the device within four days of the hurricane making landfall. It is about the size of a small flashlight and is being touted as a new must-have for outdoorsy types, according to NBC. It is waterproof, and the battery can last for days.

The device lasts for about three days on a full charge, has a standby time of 150 days and has a range of about 50 miles, according to the Business-Standard.

That is because it cannot send as much data as a smartphone can over Wi-Fi or network carriers.

While the device is nifty, it can only send text messages or GPS coordinates (on a non-interactive map).

"It has no infrastructure whatsoever," Perdomo told NBC. "Your network can be just you and one other person, or you and everyone else at Coachella. The ability to communicate on your own terms, for free, can be really life-changing."

While communication is free, in comparison to paying for a set amount of data via networks, the cost of the device itself began at $150 per pair for pre-orders.

But the price after fully launching the device will double to about $300, according to The Telegraph.