As stores are slowly opening up with proper safety measures between the Covid-19 pandemic, Apple engineering and design teams have developed an Apple Face Mask. The face mask has three layers to filter incoming and outgoing particles. Apple has stated that it can be washed and reused for more than five times. The photos of the mask has not been revealed yet but reports say that it has large coverings at top and bottom for wearer’s chin and nose and adjustable strings to fit in a person’s ear.
Apple has designed the mask with the existing personal protective equipment supply chains in mind and taking care to not disrupt the existing flows. Apple has conducted proper research and testing to find the best materials to filter the air properly by not disrupting the supply of medical personal protective equipment. Apple would start to supply the Apple Face Mask between the staff within the next two weeks.
Apple has also introduced a new model known as Clear Mask which is a transparent FDA-cleared surgical mask. It can show the full face of the wearer so that people who are deaf or have other hearing problems can easily understand what the wearer is saying. The Clear Mask has been tested with employees at three Apple stores. The Clear Mask has been sourced from somewhere else and Apple is exploring their own options for a transparent mask. Apple has teamed up with Gallaudet University of Washington that specializes in educating students who are deaf and have other hearing issues in order to choose the clear mask that has to be used.
However, the Apple Mask and Clear Mask would be provided only to retail employees and not to customers and general public. Apple offers normal surgical masks to customers who visit their stores. Apple recently also launched a company wide effort to bring product designers, operations, engineering, packaging teams and their supplying teams for designing, producing and shipping face shields to health workers. Apple has sourced around 20 million face shields through their supply chain throughout the world by April 2020 and has also donated 10 million masks to health professionals in US and Europe.