During the broad discussion of the animated feature the world building that went into its creation, the director was asked about the model of phone that the human character, Alex (Jake T. Austin), uses in the film.
Rather than confirming that the device is either an Apple or Android, Leondis instead explained the legal complications involved in making sure it appeared to be specifically neither.
Back in January, I drove out to the headquarters of Sony Pictures Animation for a presentation of their upcoming slate of films, and had the opportunity to take part in an Emoji Movie press roundtable with Tony Leondis and star T.J. Miller (who plays Gene, a ‘Meh’ emoji, in the film).