SoftBank&nbsp;is a Japanese carrier&nbsp;which had its own emoji set for the years 1997&mdash;2016. SoftBank (known as J-Phone at the time) created the&nbsp;first known&nbsp;emoji set. The SoftBank emoji designs&nbsp;heavily influenced&nbsp;<a href="/apple/iphone-os-2.2/">Apple&#39;s original emoji font</a>&nbsp;which was&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.emojipedia.org/apples-emoji-evolution-1997-2018/">designed to be compatible with this set</a>&nbsp;when launching in Japan, due&nbsp;to iPhone being a SoftBank-exclusive phone when first released.

SoftBank&nbsp;<a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&amp;tl=en&amp;js=y&amp;prev=_t&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.softbank.jp%2Fmobile%2Finfo%2Fpersonal%2Fsoftware%2F20170120-02%2F&amp;edit-text=">announced</a> it would switch to using Google emoji designs from 2016, for&nbsp;phones supporting <a href="/google/android-7.0/">Android 7.0</a> or above. SoftBank no longer releases&nbsp;updates to this emoji set.

📲 SoftBank Emoji List — Original Emojis from SoftBank in Japan

SoftBank

The last update to SoftBank&#39;s emoji set was released in 2014 and discontinued in 2016. This release added 277 new characters

A minor update to this set removed regional indicators in 2016, but otherwise delivered no new changes.

2014

A higher resolution, non-animated emoji set released by SoftBank 2010 and in use until 2012-2013.

2010

An update to the SoftBank emoji set&nbsp;<a href="https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&amp;tl=en&amp;js=y&amp;prev=_t&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.softbank.jp%2Fcorp%2Fgroup%2Fsbm%2Fnews%2Fpress%2F2008%2F20080603_03%2F&amp;edit-text=&amp;act=url">released at the end of&nbsp;June 2008</a>, sometimes referred to as&nbsp;SoftBank 3G.

This version added more detail to each character and was the first SoftBank release to show the majority of smileys as round characters rather than square edge-to-edge designs.

Note: Each&nbsp;emoji has been mapped to its modern Unicode codepoint, despite this set existing prior to Unicode emoji standardization.

2008

Updated in 2006, this version of Softbank&#39;s emoji set is largely the same as the prior release, but with additional detail or shading on a number of emoji designs. Used throughout 2006&mdash;2007.

Note: Each&nbsp;emoji has been mapped to its modern Unicode codepoint, despite this set existing prior to Unicode emoji standardization.

2006

An increased resolution and a number of design changes. This was the first release to switch the <a href="/person-tipping-hand/">💁&nbsp;Person Tipping Hand</a> (nee Information Desk Person) from a <a href="/softbank/2001/person-tipping-hand/">Man</a> to a <a href="/softbank/2004/person-tipping-hand/">Woman</a>, and many emojis were redesigned with additional detail.

Note: Each&nbsp;emoji has been mapped to its modern Unicode codepoint, despite this set existing prior to Unicode emoji standardization.

2004

Changes in this release include an increased pixel count for each emoji, resulting in more detail and smoother curves and gradients.

This set was commonly in use on SoftBank devices during 2001 and 2002, and records show it first existing as early as July 2000.

Note: Each&nbsp;emoji has been mapped to its modern Unicode codepoint, despite this set existing prior to Unicode emoji standardization.

2001

Builds on the <a href="/softbank/1999/">original SoftBank emoji set</a>, with additional characters and&nbsp;design changes including many&nbsp;smileys switching from circular red faces to yellow faces which fill the entire square.

This release was first available in&nbsp;1999, but in comon&nbsp;use from&nbsp;early 2000.

Note: Each&nbsp;emoji has been mapped to its modern Unicode codepoint, despite this set existing prior to Unicode emoji standardization.

2000

The original color emoji set from SoftBank, which was known as J-Phone in 1999&nbsp;(later Vodafone, later SoftBank Mobile).

Note: Each&nbsp;emoji has been mapped to its modern Unicode codepoint, despite this set existing prior to Unicode emoji standardization.

1999

A symbol for exchanging of two currencies. Most commonly displayed as a <a href="/heavy-dollar-sign/" title="💲Heavy Dollar Sign">dollar symbol</a>, with arrows to and from a <a href="/yen-banknote/" title="💴 Banknote With Yen Sign">yen symbol</a>.

<a href="/google/android-4.4/currency-exchange/">Google</a> and <a href="/samsung/touchwiz-7.1/currency-exchange/">Samsung&#39;s</a> designs previously showed banknotes and coins&nbsp;in <a href="/yen-banknote/" title="💴 Banknote With Yen Sign">yen</a>, <a href="/dollar-banknote/" title="💵 Banknote With Dollar Sign">dollars</a>, <a href="/euro-banknote/" title="💶 Banknote With Euro Sign">euros</a> and <a href="/pound-banknote/" title="💷 Banknote With Pound Sign">pounds</a>.

Currency Exchange

First launched 1997-11-01 on the&nbsp;SkyWalker service which was&nbsp;launched in Japan on the&nbsp;DP-211SW mobile phone.&nbsp;May have been the first emoji set in existence. <a href="https://blog.emojipedia.org/correcting-the-record-on-the-first-emoji-set/">More about this set</a>.

Note: Each&nbsp;emoji has been mapped to its modern Unicode codepoint, despite this set existing prior to Unicode emoji standardization.

💱 Currency Exchange on SoftBank 1997

💱 Currency Exchange on SoftBank 1997

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