In celebration of World Emoji Day, Apple unveiled the designs millions will use express themselves later this year. The Unicode Consortium, which decides which emoji will be added to our lexicon, announced the concepts earlier this year, but the newly unveiled designs reveal how Apple users will interface with the Consortium’s code.
As we mentioned at the time of the announcement, this batch is all about identity and self-expression. It includes a breastfeeding woman, elves, men with beards, and a Scanners-style “mind-blown” face, for anyone who identifies as perennially astounded by the universe. Also revealed is the hijab emoji for which 15-year-old activist Rayouf Alhumedhi advocated. “I wanted to be represented, as simple as that,” she told WGNO. “I just wanted an emoji of me.” Now we know what that will look like.
Videos by VICE
Google took advantage of World Emoji Day to post a “break-up” with the blob-style emojis Android users have texted with since their inception. Their new set are rounder and more Apple-like, so this peek at this set due later this could also inform the modern hieroglypics non-Apple users will have access to. Facebook used the holiday to reveal the most used icons in several countries around the world. The US and UK are both topped off by the crying laughing face, an accurate summary of our duplicitous political situations, while most other countries favor expressions of love, like hearts and kisses. Take from this information what you will.
Without further ado, here are the new emoji.
Learn more about the new emojis on Apple’s website.
Related:
Want to Own an Emoji? Come to This South Korean Pop-Up
