TL;DR: you now need to pay a $20/month “meta premium” subscription to use a 100% offline feature that runs on your own malware-ridden smartglasses.
If you don’t subscribe, you can use the feature that is already included in the hardware that you already paid for 3 hours each month
The now-paywalled feature boosts the voice of the speaker in front of you, something that even low-end ANC earphones are doing now. 5 minutes of free usage per day is basically nothing.
For me, this doesn’t solve anything. This is looking for something to fit tech in.
You can already do this with your phone, and it isn’t like checking your phone whilst walking is going to kill you or someone else (unlike using your phone whilst driving).
You can also use the sign posts around you, my city has more than enough for people walking to get where the need, or at least the rough area.
You can also use headphones for the verbal call outs.
Another alternative would be a smart watch. Loads have maps or bread crumb style maps.
The real answers have been for more disability or accessibility not seeing Google maps constantly while walking.
Big cities have started putting lighted crosswalk indicators on the ground because people are so glued to their phones they don’t see them at eye level. So yes, people are stupid enough to walk into traffic while looking at a phone. Also, it is really obvious to others when you’re navigating with a phone. Scammers realize you’re not from the area and now you’re a target because you look like a tourist.