Rapper Will.i.am partners with Honeywell to produce $299 face mask

Xupermasks will allow user to answer calls, play music and prevent glasses from fogging

Will.i.am wearing Xupermask.

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Xupermask

Honeywell has joined forces with Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment arm, Mubadala Investment Company, to produce N95 face masks in the country. Courtesy Honeywell

US musician and entrepreneur Will.i.am has teamed up with industrial company Honeywell to produce a high-tech face mask, which costs $299.

The mask, called Xupermask, will be launched on Thursday and will have features such as noise-cancellation earbuds, microphones, Bluetooth support, replaceable filtration systems, LED lights and multi-function button controls.

Xupermask allows users to answer phone calls, play music and they have a tight seal over the nose to prevent glasses from fogging.

“We created Xupermask to change the game of our new normal,” said Will.i.am, whose full name is William Adams.

Xupermasks are powered by a rechargeable battery that lasts up to seven hours on a single charge. Courtesy Honeywell

“In this new age of style and security, Xupermask is an uncompromising face mask design with high-tech performance for the modern lifestyle ... we have engineered a state-of-the-art smart mask to provide function with style.”

Powered by a rechargeable battery that lasts up to seven hours on a single charge, Xupermasks are made of silicone and they have an elastic strap for users’ comfort and equipment’s high performance.

Xupermasks are designed by Hollywood designer Jose Fernandez. Courtesy Honeywell

Masks currently available in the market do not always work well for many, Will.i.am said.

"Your eyeglasses fog up ... masks are hot and stuffy ... talking on your phone is muffled ... your earpods get dislodged or tangled up," he said.

Xupermasks are easily adjustable to a variety of face shapes and one mask can be used for up to a year in any weather condition, Honeywell said.

“We are proud to have partnered with Will.i.am on this unique and innovative project,” Darius Adamczyk, chairman and chief executive of Honeywell, said.

Xupermask offers “wearers cutting-edge design and functionality … its blend of fashion, technology and function is unparalleled”, he added

The high-end masks are designed by Hollywood designer Jose Fernandez, who made the SpaceX suits for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and worked on projects such as Black Panther, The Avengers and X-Men 2.

Xupermasks, which come in two adjustable sizes – small/medium and medium/large - will be initially available to consumers in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe, Honeywell said.

Will.i.am said Xupermask is a face mask design for a modern lifestyle. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Last May, Honeywell joined with Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment arm, Mubadala Investment Company, to produce N95 face masks in the country.

The North Carolina company set up a new production line with Strata, Mubadala’s wholly owned aerospace manufacturing subsidiary, at its Al Ain facility. It produces about 90,000 masks a day and have an annual output capacity of more than 30 million masks.