Talking about how carriers totally ruin the pure Google experience on Nexus devices by delaying updates would be like beating a dead horse, but Sprint and Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners are waiting for the Android 4.2 update two months after the unlocked Galaxy Nexus received it, just like they had to wait long for the Android 4.1 update last year.

But for Sprint Galaxy Nexus owners, the wait may be a bit shorter than Verizon users, as an official Android 4.2.1 ROM has been leaked for the Sprint Galaxy Nexus. The ROM updates the phone to build number JOP40D.L700GA02, and while this doesn’t exactly mean the update is coming out soon, it at least goes to show that Sprint is working on the update.

With Android 4.2, you get features like lockscreen widgets, redesigned clock with stopwatch and timer functionality, settings toggles in the status bar, performance improvements (specially when switching between apps), Gesture Typing keyboard, improved Google Now, and also the 360 degrees panorama mode in the camera.

If your fingers are itching to take Android 4.2.1 on your Sprint Galaxy Nexus for a spin, we have a step-by-step guide ready to help you install it on your phone. Do keep in mind that this is a leaked ROM and isn’t final software, so there may be a few bugs present, but overall things should work properly.

So let’s take a look at how the leaked Android 4.2.1 can be installed on the Sprint Galaxy Nexus.

How to Install Android 4.2.1 Update on Sprint Galaxy Nexus

  1. [Important] To be sure you do not lose any data, backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android Backup Guide would help you. Also make a full backup of the internal storage to your computer.
  2. Download and install the drivers for the phone on your computer.
    Download Drivers
  3. Download the Android 4.2.1 ROM
    Download ROM | Alternate Link
  4. Extract the file downloaded in step 3 on the computer to obtain a file named CODE_I9250XXSPH-L700GA02.tar.md5 (the file name may end at .tar, which is normal, but you can confirm the file type is .MD5 by checking the file’s properties). This is the actual ROM that we need to flash on the phone.
  5. Download Odin. If you are new to this, Odin is a Samsung program used to flash stuff – firmware, kernels, etc. – on Samsung phones. We’ll use Odin to flash the firmware file obtained in step 4.
    Download Odin3 v3.04  |  Filename: Odin3_v3.04.zip
  6. Extract the contents of the Odin3_v3.04.zip file to a folder on your computer.
  7. Turn off the phone. Then, put the phone into Odin (download) mode. To do so, press and hold the Volume Down button while powering on the phone.
  8. Open Odin by double-clicking on the Odin3 v3.04.exe file obtained in step 6 after extracting Odin3_v3.04.zip.
  9. Important! Connect your phone to PC now. You should get the message “Added !!” under Odin’s message box in the bottom left.
    • If you don’t get this message, make sure you installed drivers correctly as given in step 2. If it still doesn’t work, try changing to another USB port on the computer and also use the USB ports on the back if you have a desktop PC.
  10. Click on the PDA button in Odin, then browse to and select the CODE_I9250XXSPH-L700GA02.tar.md5 file obtained in step 4.
  11. Important! Do not make any other changes in Odin except selecting the required files as given in step 10. Leave all other options as they are. Make sure Re-Partition check box is not selected.
  12. Now, click the Start button to start flashing the Android 4.2.1 ROM on the phone. After the flashing is complete, Odin will show a PASS message and the phone will reboot automatically and boot up into Android 4.2.1, though the first boot may take a few minutes.
  13. If you run into roadblocks while flashing the ROM, let us know and we’ll help you out.

The official leaked Android 4.2.1 ROM is now installed on your Sprint Galaxy Nexus, and you can enjoy the latest version of Android in all its glory. Don’t forget to let us know how it works for you, and also if you notice any issues or bugs in it.

Via: SXTP Developers