Whether it’s a friendly smiling face or a cheeky eggplant, emoji are now part of many of our daily messages.
And while they’re usually considered a fairly modern feature, a new discovery shows that’s not the case.
Matt Sephton, a game developer and blogger, delved into the history of emoji and discovered a series of characters from 1988.
The 102 emoji were featured on Japan’s PA-8500 device and included everything from animals to symbols.
However, they look very different from the emoji we use today. Can you tell what they are? Scroll down for the answers!
Matt Sephton, a game developer and blogger, delved into the history of emoji and discovered a series of characters from 1988
While emoji are usually considered a fairly modern feature, a new discovery shows that this is not the case
To trace the history of the emoji, Mr. Sephton tested several retro Japanese devices with drawing software.
‘These types of devices are pre-internet, so there isn’t much about them online, and they can’t be emulated, so the only way to find out what they do is to get first-hand experience by reading the manual to read or, better yet, use one yourself,” he explained in a blogging.
He initially expected the first emoji to be those created at SoftBank in 1997.
However, he was surprised to discover characters on the Sharp PI-4000, which was released three years earlier in 1994.
To trace the history of the emoji, Mr. Sephton tested several Japanese devices with drawing software
Initially, the game developer and blogger expected the first emoji to be those created at SoftBank in 1997
‘The Sharp PI-4000 was released in 1994 and was packed with recognizable emoji. Then I fell down the rabbit hole,” he wrote.
Next up was the NEC PI-ET1, released in 1990 and described by Mr Sephton as ‘the coolest thing you’ve ever seen’.
The device’s character set includes emoji that can be typed inline, as well as a ‘montage’ feature, which lets you create faces for your contacts.
Mr Sephton really struck gold when he tested the PA-8500 device, released in 1988, which features similar emojis to those on the PI-4000.
Mr Sephton was truly golden when he tested the PA-8500 device, released in 1988, which features similar emoji to those on the PI-4000
“When thinking about the PA line of devices, the PA-8500 was released in 1988, and its predecessor, the (emoji-less) PA-7000, in 1987,” he wrote.
“So maybe the emoji set was made around this time?”
While Mr Sephton suggests that 1988 should be used as the emoji’s start date, he acknowledges that not everyone will necessarily agree.
“The history emoji is not as sleek as you might have thought,” he concluded.
‘You can decide for yourself what you consider the first emoji.
“It depends on our own personal definition, so there is no right or wrong answer.”
While Mr Sephton suggests that 1988 should be used as the emoji’s start date, he acknowledges that not everyone will necessarily agree