Apple Updates of the Future: Diverse Emoji and a Smarter Siri

Apple(NEW YORK) — Expect even more diverse and worldly updates from future editions of Apple operating systems.

Developers who got the first look at the latest beta versions of iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3 were treated to a more inclusive menu of emoji, featuring the cartoon characters in several different skin tones.

The final say rests with the Unicode Consortium, which sets the standard for emoji for many technology companies. Last November, it released a plan to have more diverse emoji in the group’s 2015 update.

“Apple supports and cares deeply about diversity, and is working with The Unicode Consortium to update the standard so that it better represents diversity for all of us,” an Apple spokesperson told ABC News.

The characters proposed by the group are based on the Fitzpatrick Classification scale, founded by dermatologist Thomas Fitzpatrick in 1975 at Harvard Medical School. Fitzpatrick classified different skin tones based on how well each one reacted to UV rays, according to a draft of the Unicode Consortium’s plan.

Also on the docket is an even more multi-lingual Siri. Apple’s know-it-all virtual personal assistant already speaks more languages than most diplomats but she’s not done yet. Expect Siri to add a few more to her repertoire when iOS 8.3 is released, including Dutch, Danish, Russian, Swedish, Thai and Turkish, according to Mac Rumors.

While there’s plenty to be excited about by the updates, it could be a while before they reach consumers. Apple hasn’t yet released iOS 8.2.

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