Ex-OnePlus engineers have launched L'Atitude 52°N’s smart glasses, complete with an on-board AI called Goya. CEO Gary Chen promises a travel companion that can quiz you about Mona Lisa and recommend restaurants, but there's a catch: the AI features work for just one year before you need to pay up or lose access.

While the Berlin model costs £319 (£250 for lenses), users might feel cheated when they have to subscribe to keep Goya talking. The glasses rival Meta’s offerings, with a 12-megapixel camera and onboard AI, but only time will tell if these features are enough to compete in an increasingly crowded market.

Chen aims to make his smart glasses useful for travel, but the temporary nature of their key feature feels like a missed opportunity. With other tech giants like Google and Apple entering the fray, L'Atitude 52°N might find it tough to stand out if they can’t offer continuous AI support.

The company is relying on user behavior to determine subscription prices, much like a pay-as-you-go model for smartphones. But for users who were promised “lifetime access,” this feels more like a bait-and-switch than forward thinking. It’s a tricky balance between innovation and sustainability in the smart glasses market.