The new Emoji 13.0 set will also feature an emoji from blueberry.
The request fora specific emoji from blueberry had been made in March 2019 by Ankita Devasia (who describes herself as a "fearful consumer of blueberries") and Christian Krenek (who writes of himself that " berries played a major role in my childhood diet").
The new set was approved for release in 2020. The final list was announced in early 2020 with 117 new emojis coming in the second half of 2020. The exact release dates for each platform are to be confirmed. Only a small number of platforms support these emojis from the first half of 2020.
Designs vary by vendor, and Emojipedia's collection of sample images shows a possible range of design choices for the new emoji at blueberry.
The creation of an emoji at blueberries reflects the fact that blueberries itself is loved and in high demand. Emoji are chosen for inclusion in the standard set through a rigorous process and cannot be bought or commissioned.
The new emojis are created on the basis of public proposals received by the Unicode Consortium, examined by the Unicode Emoji sub-committee and selected on the basis of the Emoji selection factors. Successful proposals demonstrate significant relevance and interest among the general public.
The characteristics for which the request has been approved are:
- a very popular fruit that has been grown in the United States for over a century.
- known and appreciated health benefits
- intended extensive use by producers, chefs and consumers
- constant interest in search engines and social media
- distinctive image (there are no other blue fruits)
- many requests from users
- wide geographical spread
- unambiguous in that it represents a distinct fruit in the berry category
TheU.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) is also celebrating this exciting milestone. The Blueberry emoji news joins two recent announcements - Classic Blueberry as Flavor of the Year and Classic Blue as Color of the Year - which add up to a festive "Year of the Blueberry". The new emoji will depict a cluster of two or three berries.
THE SELECTION OF AN EMOJI FROM BLUEBERRY REFLECTS THE HIGH LEVEL THAT BLUEBERRIES HAS IN THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF CONSUMERS".
Kasey Cronquist, president of USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council.
"For the blueberries growers, traders and importers that make up the USHBC, it is an affirmation of our work together as an industry to provide and support consumers' deep love of blueberries."
The USHBC is currently creating industry resources and tools to support access to and use of the emoji at blueberry ahead of its official release later this year.
