The Unicode Consortium has released its updated list of approved emoji for the upcoming year. The collection, dubbed Emoji 11.0, will be integrated into Android and iOS, among other products. Last year, the collective included a person wearing a hijab, and this year those with balding heads or red hair will finally be able to insert an accurate representation of their emotions in a text.
The collection includes 157 new emoji, bringing the total number to a massive 2,823. Included, as mentioned, are red-haired or bald men and women, those with white - or gray - hair, and an accurate representation of someone with curly hair. Each of these emoji comes in a vast array of skin-tones as well. If you"ve been feeling a bit perplexed as to how you can accurately describe that feeling when the blood drains from your face, the Consortium included a "cold face", and if the opposite is true, a "hot face".
With the upcoming Marvel movie, Black Panther gaining a lot of traction among gamers and those who enjoy comics, it is only fitting to introduce a slew of superhero emoji - and villains - to the collection. This year, several updates have been made to the original male and female superhero emoji, to include people with varying skin tones. A superhero with red hair, however, is still something we have to wait for.
Inanimate objects included in the update, are items such as feet, legs, flat shoes, a tooth, and a pirate flag - the last of which should be perfect when you want to invite your friends to join in on your Sea of Thieves play session when the game launches next month.
Even though sample images of the new emoji are available, the actual implementations of these will vary depending on your preferred platform - as evidenced by the way Google originally represented a cheeseburger. Apple usually implements them alongside updates to its operating systems, which should be around the time iOS 12 rolls out to consumers. For those on Android, the timing is a bit harder to pin down, but it should be by the end of the year.