In order to customize your Sprint Galaxy Nexus SPH-L700, you will first need to unlock its bootloader. With an unlocked bootloader, you can root your phone, flash custom recovery images, and install custom ROMs. For the price of (potentially) voiding your warranty, you can customize and fully optimize your Android phone. However, some users have faced a “waiting for device” bug when unlocking the phone’s bootloader.

Looking for answers, I tried searching the problem and found myself visiting the Chelsey Twigg site. There I found a solution on how to unlock your phone in a way that skirts the pesky bug. Continue reading the rest of this guide so you will how to unlock your Spring Galaxy Nexus SPH-L700′s bootloader without the “waiting for device” bug.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Sprint Galaxy Nexus, model number SPH-L700.  Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only.  There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk.  We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.
• Please be reminded that unlocking your phone’s bootloader will break your warranty.

Requirements

• Sprint’s Galaxy Nexus SPH-L700
• A Windows PC
• Android Debug Bridge (ADB) installed on your computer. You can get ADB by installing the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) on your computer.
  • Check out these guides on how to install the Android SDK and how to setup and use ADB on your computer.
• Download and install Sprint Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE drivers (Sprint_L700_Galaxy_Nexus_USB_Driver_v1.4.6.0.exe, 23.2 MB).
• Download the fastboot package (fastboot.exe, 329 kB) and save it to C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools (assuming you installed the Android SDK on drive C:\).
• Enable USB Debugging on your phone. You can do that by going to Settings > Developer Option and tap the USB Debugging checkbox to enable it.
• Disable system tool such as anti-virus software, firewall programs, and Samsung KIES to avoid any interruption during the procedure.
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.
• Charge your phone’s battery to 70% or more.

Instructions

1. Connect the Sprint Galaxy Nexus to the computer via USB cable.
2. Open a command prompt window and navigate to the Platform Tools folder found inside the Android SDK installation folder.
   • NOTE: For Windows 7 users, you can easily open a command prompt from a specific folder. Open the desired folder and press Shift and right mouse button in any vacant part in the folder. A menu will appear. Click the Open Command Window Here and a command prompt will appear with the location of the selected folder.
3. Type the command adb reboot bootloader. Your phone will now reboot into Bootloader Mode.
4. The computer will now install the ADB drivers for your phone. If it fails, do the following steps:
   1. Go to the PC’s Device Manager. Under Other Devices, you should see something like “Android 1.0.” Try rebooting your computer if you do not see it on the list.
   2. Press the right mouse button on “Android 1.0.” A menu will appear. Select Update Driver Software.
   3. Click the Browse my computer for driver software.
   4. Click the Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
   5. Leave the Show compatible hardware checked. The “Samsung Android ADB Interface” will appear under Samsung. If it appears more than once, try updating the first driver. If it fails, try the next drivers until a driver has been successfully installed.
   6. Click Next and a warning message will appear. Click OK to continue. The computer will notify you that the drivers have been successfully installed.
   7. Unplug your phone from the computer and reboot your PC.
   8. After the computer reboots, connect your phone to the computer and wait until it connects to the computer. Your phone should still be on Bootloader Mode.
   9. Go back to the Platform Tools folder and open a command prompt window
5. Type the command fastboot oem unlock at the command prompt.
6. A warning message will appear on your phone’s screen. Highlight Yes by using the Volume keys and press the Power button to continue. This will initiate the unlocking process.
7. Once done, unplug your phone from the computer and reboot your phone.
   • NOTE: If your phone experiences boot loops, do not take out the phone’s battery. Your phone might still be performing a factory wipe before booting, so wait patiently.

Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked the bootloader of your Sprint Galaxy Nexus SPH-L700. You can now root, flash custom recovery, and install custom ROM on your mobile phone.