NTT Docomo to retire iconic emoji set after 26 years

NTT Docomo has decided to phase out its own set of emojis, known as Docomo Emoji, beginning with new smartphones released in late June, marking the end of a 26-year tradition that shaped mobile communication. Other carriers like Samsung will follow suit later, using their own emoji sets or Google’s Noto Color Emoji, while some existing Galaxy devices may receive updated software without Docomo’s emojis by October.