Remember pagers? Those little devices that beeped and nudged us into decoding a string of numbers like it was the Da Vinci Code? Sega’s Emojam has resurrected that retro energy, but instead of numbers, you’re “talking” in strings of emojis.

Cryptic? Absolutely. But it’s perfect for Gen Alpha, who might just turn emoji-speak into an entirely new language. And honestly, between Gen Z’s chaotic slang and whatever Gen Alpha is cooking up, this feels like a warning. Emojis strung together can mean anything—or nothing—and now they’ve got a pager for it.
Emojam is compact, quirky, and unapologetically unserious. Designed for kids aged six and up (so, good luck understanding them), it lets users send cryptic emoji messages to friends as long as they’re connected to Wi-Fi. Tap two devices together to add friends—no stranger danger here—and dive into one-on-one chats or five-person emoji group chaos.
With 1,100 emojis built-in and a creative “emoji lab” for mixing up 300 more, you can probably invent feelings no one’s thought of yet. Speaking emoji in real life might be impossible, but Emojam has made it a digital reality.
Available in Galaxy Pink and Cosmic Blue, this little pager isn’t all fun and games—okay, it is. But Sega didn’t stop there. You can snag themed cases to protect and customize it (Ice Cool, anyone?) or add flair with downloadable emoji packs featuring Sanrio stars and Sega’s LinkLink crew.
So, if you want to decode the next generation’s secret messages—or just marvel at the absurdity of emoji-only communication—Emojam is your new best friend. Priced at 7,150 yen [JP] (around US$48), with cases and emoji packs at 2,420 yen and 880 yen each, it hits shelves on December 10, 2024. Start practicing your cryptography.
Images: Sega [JP].
Sega [JP] via CNET.