Does that NuPhy QMK codebase include the wireless code, or are they doing the old trick of running QMK on one microcontroller and the wireless stack on a separate microcontroller? QMK has very limited wireless support so AFAIK wireless QMK boards usually use the dual MCU arrangement, and the wireless MCU firmware is probably still closed even if they release their QMK source.
I think you're confusing this with WiFi. The Nordic Semiconductor chips don't require a firmware upload; the protocol they run is vastly simpler than wifi -- it's like UART-over-2.4ghz-GFSK-radio plus some error correction.
Oh of course, I'm confusing it with Bluetooth boards which need a hefty wireless firmware stack. Boards using a dongle don't necessarily need that complexity.
Yeah the NuPhy Air is the first wireless keyboard I've ever been willing to use, specifically because it is non-bluetooth (and I can recompile the firmware to guarantee that it isn't using bluetooth!)
