The so-called “dumb phone” movement already has its supporters, and there are plenty of relatively cheap Barbie-style flip phones or old recycled Nokias that can help you cut yourself off from your social media fixation. These devices go one step further. In a press release, Sega claims that this device is trying to bring back the “pager culture” of the 1990s.
This device doesn’t send text or numbers, but sends up to 1100 “original” emojis over WiFi. You can organize up to 10 emojis in a row to send to other Emojam users, which Sega likens to a secret code between friends. My personal secret code when corresponding with friends is usually the “” emoji, which I use over and over again.
However, you should be aware that the emoticons offered are not the ones most commonly found in the West, as the Unicode consortium releases new emoticons every year. Among the Sega images, there is, of course, Hello Kitty, as well as other characters. According to Sega, there’s even an “emoji lab” feature where you can combine two emojis into one. These back-to-back emojis are supposed to be about a kind of “puzzle solving” where friends guess what you mean. This can be clearly seen on the Emojam page on Amazon, where hearts and arrows connect random character images into messages.
The device is part of Sega’s Japanese children’s brand LinkLink, so you can tell which market these devices are aimed at. You also can’t just connect with random people over the internet. You have to physically touch the end pieces of both devices to connect them to your friends.
Once upon a time, people in Japan really loved their pagers. Japanese was easier to represent in the form of short texts or even numerical values than English, making it a simple and convenient means of mass communication. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. The last remaining pagers in the country closed in 2018.
The devices cost 7,150 yen, or about $46. They are supposed to come with additional cases and beaded straps. Unfortunately, they are only available in Japan, and most likely don’t have a translation. However, I think if you manage to import them, you won’t need to do much after setting them up, as all other communication will be done through emojis. The devices should arrive on December 10.
