Google to Overhaul Emoji for Android O
Google is now replacing their emoji design for the upcoming Android O version of their popular mobile Operating System. Most notably, Android's emoji design team will be killing off the blob gumdrop design in favor of circular characters, similar to the iOS emoji set.
One surprise at the Google I/O conference this year is the decision to overhaul the visual design of Android's emoji. While the previous design was flatter and had blob characters for the face emojis, the previews for the Android O shows characters that are circular, and more in line with the conventional emoji design, according to Ars Technica.
Other changes were also made to Android's emoji aside from the shapes. The new design now has 3D shading, and an outline has been added that make them stand out more from a lighter background. The contrast seems to have been noticeably improved as well, with the new emojis making use of darker colors. The design has been compared to the current emoji set for the iOS, with many saying that they now look similar.
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With the Android O update, the OS is also giving full support for the Emoji 5.0 set included with the Unicode 10.0 beta standard, according to Phandroid. This update to the Unicode set added a host of new symbols, including the starstruck face, throwing up face, wizard, mermaid, fairy, pretzel, and giraffe, among others. The new standard also added skin color choices to several of the characters.
This move could be popular with Android fans who wished that there's a somewhat standard look to all the emoji styles in the market today. At present, emojis have been separately designed by phone makers like Microsoft, Samsung, HTC, Apple and Google, as well as social media platforms who in turn have their own versions. For example, Emojipedia currently lists as many as 12 different variants for smiling face.
Users who would like to see the new emojis in action can sign up for the Android O Beta program, and all they need is a Google account and a compatible Pixel or Nexus device.
