If you primarily communicate through emoji (or you just think they’re cute), you might be happy to learn that Unicode Consortium finalized version 8.0 of the Unicode standard on June 17. This means that soon, you may see 37 new emoji on your digital keyboard.
Thanks to Emojipedia, you can view all of the new emoji online before they’re implemented. Some of the most noteworthy ones include a “nerd face,” “face with rolling eyes,” and a “burrito.” Unicode 8.0 will also have more skin tone modifiers, embracing the diversity of humankind. If you have an iPhone, you’re familiar with this already, as Apple adopted this portion of Unicode 8.0 prior to its finalization. Additional sample designs are available for preview on the Unicode Consortium website.
However, it’s worth noting that software developers need to adopt these changes before we can all access the features. While Apple is ahead of the cover on diversity, it has yet to implement many of the emoji introduced with Unicode 7.0. Windows 10 has a fraction of Unicode 7.0 emoji, while Android 5.x does not have them at all.
A total of 250 new emoji were introduced by the Unicode Consortium in June 2014. At the time, it was criticized for not addressing the characters’ lack of diversity, citing few skin tone options. Now, there is a handful of skin-toned color swatches that can be applied to emoji to address the issue.
With Unicode 7.0, we saw the arrival of “cloud with lightning,” “fork and knife with plate” and “hot pepper.” Unicode 8.0 does not appear to have nearly as many new characters. However, there are new helpful emoji that certainly go beyond “burrito.” Missing sports symbols (“ice hockey stick and puck,” for instance) are sure to go to good use. “Bottle with popping cork” will be perfect for any celebration or holiday.
Now, we just have to wait and see how many companies adopt Unicode 8.0 for their platforms.
