Dezeen Magazine

Will.i.am's latest design is a pair of Bluetooth headphones

Music producer Will.i.am has made another foray into the design world, with a pair of wireless headphones inspired by the shape of vinyl records.

The i.am+ Buttons headphones are backed with magnetic metallic discs which, when not in use, join to form a necklace.

i am + buttons

They connect to the user's device through Bluetooth, negating the need for a headphone jack. When fully charged, the buds – which were created in partnership with Apple – have over six hours of battery life.

The jack-less Buttons provide iPhone 7 users with an alternative to Apple's wireless headphones, which were heavily criticised when they were first unveiled in September.

i am + buttons

"You know, we all love buying shoes to match our outfits and bags to match our outfits, but for some reason we don't expect our technology to match our outfits," Will.i.am told the New York Times. "Why not? Why should we just accept that? What I want to do is change that."

i am + buttons

The Buttons are available in black, grey, rose or gold, and are priced at $229.95 (approximately £184).

Will.i.am has developed a reputation for having big ideas concerning technological innovation and design. He previously developed an eyewear range with designer George Gorrow, a collection of products for Coca-Cola made with sustainable materials, and most recently a voice-activated smartwatch.

In an interview with Dezeen last year, he called for "new morals, new laws and new codes" for 3D printing – a technology he says is evolving so rapidly that we will soon be able to print humans.

More images

i am + buttons
i am + buttons
i am + buttons
i am + buttons
i am + buttons
i am + buttons
i am + buttons
i am + buttons
i am + buttons
i am + buttons