Android to make new emoji available to Nexus phones next week

Android is going to make new emoji everyone has been waiting for, available to Nexus phones next week, in an update going to roll out next week. In late October, Hiroshi Lockheimer first announced that Google was working on bringing the new emoji to the Android platform, but it was not announced when it would happen. According to Lockheimer, the update will hit Nexus devices beginning next week.

Phone Arena reports that, according to Android's Hiroshi Lockheimer, the designs will be part of Unicode 8.0 standard which has already been added by Apple in iOS 9.1. Another tweet from the Android executive showed a unicorn, a lion's head and a crab. He also wrote in a second tweet that the new emoji will require a "new keyboard, new font and new code."

According to Androidcentral, this will be a new system image, so it's not just simply an update to Google keyboard unfortunately. Google has shared the updated information with its OEM partners so they can begin to incorporate the changes. The timeline for the availability on other phones and tablets will be up to individual manufacturers.

Engadget says that if you don't have a Nexus phone, you'll have to wait for your manufacturer to push an upgrade eventually. No matter how long it takes, emoji addicts will be happy to see Android picking up the pace on its Unicode support following apple

These are the tweets by Hiroshi Lockheimer:

Look! New emoji coming to #Nexus next week. Fonts and tech details shared with OEMs to include in their updates too. pic.twitter.com/GwvKw2d67p

- Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) December 3, 2015

New keyboard, new font, new code, so new system image. Nexus will update next week. OEMs decide their own update schedules.

- Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) December 3, 2015

So if you own a Nexus device, then be prepared to explore the new emoji as soon as next week. The new keyboard, new fonts and other surprises are sure to please you as well. For other Android users you will have to wait until the update reaches you device.