We've been shipping fast. Since January, we've pushed over a dozen firmware updates, rebuilt our backend from scratch twice, launched a complete mobile app, and shipped 71 pages on the website. Now it's time to talk about where we're going next.
This is our honest 2026 product roadmap — not a marketing document, but a real look at what we're building, why, and roughly when. Some of this is in active development. Some of it is further out. All of it is based on direct feedback from our users, conversations with educators, and our own vision for what this pen can become.
Q2 2026: Custom Modes
The most requested feature since launch. Custom modes let Pro users create their own Donna personas — defining the subject area, response style, language constraints, and even the personality. A language student could create a "Spanish Immersion" mode that never speaks English. A pre-med student could create a "Clinical Reasoning" mode that thinks like a diagnostician.
For Enterprise and School accounts, custom modes will be distributable across an organization. An administrator creates a "AP Chemistry Study" mode and pushes it to every student's pen on the plan. This is where Nexus Pen becomes a platform rather than just a product.
Custom modes are in development now. We're targeting a beta release for Pro users by end of Q2.
Q2 2026: Quiz Mode and Spaced Repetition Flashcards
Our most educationally significant upcoming feature. Quiz Mode turns any conversation with Donna into a structured review session using spaced repetition scheduling (SM-2 algorithm). You ask Donna to quiz you on a topic, she generates questions at the right difficulty level, and your performance data is used to schedule when each concept comes up for review again.
Flashcards work alongside Quiz Mode. You can generate a deck from any topic, review it daily, and let the algorithm optimize your review schedule automatically. Cards sync across your pen and the mobile app, so you can review in the app when you don't have the pen with you.
We wrote a detailed post on the science behind spaced repetition if you want to understand the research underpinning this feature.
Q3 2026: HD Audio Upgrade
The current audio pipeline delivers 24kHz speech audio through the MAX98357A amplifier and Dayton CE32A-8 speaker. For voice responses, this sounds excellent. For anything with music, ambient sound, or higher-frequency content, 24kHz starts to show its limits.
We're upgrading to a 44.1kHz pipeline end-to-end — higher quality TTS on the backend, updated firmware audio drivers, and a revised speaker tuning profile. For most users, the difference in voice quality will be subtle. For future features that involve audio beyond voice (ambient study sounds, audio-based content, music theory tutoring), it opens up a lot of possibilities.
The hardware change is minor — the MAX98357A already supports the higher sample rate. Most of the work is in the firmware and backend pipeline. We're targeting Q3 for the rollout, tied to a firmware v11 release.
Q3 2026: WiFi Direct Mode
Right now, Nexus Pen requires a phone running the app to connect to the backend. The pen pairs via BLE to the phone, which handles the internet connection. This works great — but it creates a dependency on having your phone nearby and the app running.
WiFi Direct Mode adds a second connectivity path: the pen connects directly to a WiFi network (set up once via the app) and communicates with the backend independently. No phone required. This opens up use cases like lectures where your phone is in your bag, study rooms where you've left your phone at the library entrance, and eventually, shared pen deployments in classrooms where the device isn't personally owned.
This is a significant firmware project — the ESP32's WiFi stack is powerful but requires careful power management to not destroy battery life. We're confident it's achievable, and we've already done early prototyping that shows promising results.
Q4 2026: Over-the-Air Firmware Updates
Currently, firmware updates require connecting the pen to a computer with the Arduino IDE or a custom flashing tool. This is fine for early adopters and beta users, but it's not acceptable for a mainstream consumer product or institutional deployment.
OTA updates will let users update their pen firmware directly through the mobile app — just like updating any other device. The app downloads the new firmware, transfers it to the pen over BLE, and the pen reboots with the updated firmware. No computer, no cables, no technical knowledge required.
This is also critical infrastructure for everything else on this roadmap. Once OTA is live, we can ship firmware improvements and new features to every pen in the field — not just to users who manually flash updates. It's the foundation for treating Nexus Pen as a living product that gets better over time.
Q4 2026: Developer API (Public Launch)
We published a detailed developer preview post earlier this week. The public API launch is targeted for Q4 2026. This opens Nexus Pen to third-party developers who want to build custom modes, LMS integrations, analytics tools, and more on top of our platform.
The API will include custom mode creation, session webhooks, conversation history access, and — for enterprise partners — custom voice profiles. We're running an early access program now for developers who want to build on the platform before public launch.
Looking Further: 2027 and Beyond
We're not ready to put dates on these, but here's what we're thinking about for the generation after 2026:
- Handwriting recognition — Using the pen's motion sensors to capture what you write and feed it to Donna as context
- Nexus Pen 2 — Improved battery life, slimmer profile, upgraded speaker, USB-C charging, and a refined OLED display
- Collaborative modes — Study groups where multiple pens can share a conversation session
- Offline mode — Basic Donna functionality that works without internet, using an on-device model
What This Means for Current Owners
If you already have a Nexus Pen, everything on this roadmap is coming to you. Custom modes, Quiz Mode, HD Audio, WiFi Direct, and OTA updates are all firmware and software features — no new hardware required. Your pen gets better with every update.
This is something we're deeply committed to: Nexus Pen owners shouldn't need to buy a new device every year to stay current. The hardware we ship is built to last, and the software will keep evolving around it.
Thank you for being here at the beginning. The roadmap you've helped shape is going to be worth the wait.