Apple Inc. has developed completely in-house face masks for their corporate and retail employees to limit the spread of Covid-19.
According to a media report, Apple has made two masks – the Apple Face Mask and the Clear Mask. The former was created in-house by and the Clear Mask was sourced elsewhere. This is not Apple’s first foray into face masks though, the company has made face shields for medical workers earlier.
One of the masks was designed by Apple’s Engineering and Industrial Design teams. These are the same guys that work on devices like the iPhone and the iPad. The Apple Face Mask is made up of three layers of filters and can be washed and reused up to five times.
The mask looks unique with large coverings on the top and the bottom for the user’s nose and chin and has adjustable strings for a better fit.
Apple confirmed this news and said that they have conducted careful research and testing to find the right materials that can filter the air properly while “not disrupting the supply of medical personal protective equipment”.
Apple is going to start shipping these masks off to employees over the next two weeks.
The other ClearMark is the first FDA-approved transparent surgical mask and it shows the full face of the user. This will help those who are deaf or hard of hearing can better understand what the wearer is saying.
For this, Apple has worked with Washington-based Gallaudet University that specializes in educating deaf and hearing-impaired students to figure out which clear mask to use. Apple has also tested these masks on employees in three Apple stores.
