[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] XBIRDIE98:
Is this behavior somehow related to Google Wallet?

While I have not observed this behavior myself, seeing as I have an International Nexus that shipped with yakju, I can confirm an important detail, and offer an educated guess - an idea to why this may be occurring. I'm quite curious about finding differences in the Play Store Nexus.

Firstly, I can confirm that BlindWolf8's bootloader info matches mine exactly, and that it has already been concluded by DOHCtor in another thread about this topic that the bootloaders in the stock images are identical.

So this begs the question, What does the bootloader detect, if indeed this is a software behavior? Or is it some sort of hardware option set by Samsung/Google at manufacture/software flash time?

I believe that Wallet is somehow involved, based on a few things:

1. Various people in this thread and the other thread have stated/implied that they had Wallet activated - with it's applet installed on the Secure Element - before fastboot oem unlock-ing.

2. We know that the Secure Element Error appears to be a mismatch in the app and Secure Element applet - this can be triggered by wiping and flashing a new ROM, but I don't know if just a wipe would trigger it.

I'm not crazy enough to try, even with a CWM backup of a working Wallet app in place.

3. We have already established that people with a non-Play Store Nexus with the PRIMELA03 bootloader have not seen this behavior - they were wiped. (I think, anyway, I haven't seen a specific mention yet. But did they have Wallet? - That is the question!)

Hypothesis: Did Google initiate this behavior to prevent an Secure Element Error?

A seemingly logical possible reason: with the direct sale from Google Play there may be more of an expectation of a replacement device should this "SE Error" occur. (Compared to a non-USA GN which they don't support.)

DISCLAIMER: Please don't try the following - they could destroy your ability to use Wallet!

Some of these tests are EXTREMELY LIKELY to trigger a Secure Element Error!

This is simply my thought processes on this matter. Thank you.

These are the aforementioned thought proceses - experiments that might be conducted [NOTE: READ DISCLAIMER] to try and prove the hypothesis by eliminating certain variables:

1. Did those with a Play Store-sourced Galaxy Nexus who didn't activate Wallet still experience the no-wipe behavior upon a fastboot oem unlock command?

2a. If a non-Play Store Galaxy Nexus (i.e. "yakju"/"yakjuzs"/etc.) were to be flashed to takju, oem locked, Wallet activated and then oem unlocked, would this behavior occur?

2b. If a non-Play Store Galaxy Nexus (i.e. "yakju"/"yakjuzs"/etc.) were to be flashed to takju, oem locked, Wallet not activated and then oem unlocked, would this behavior occur?

3. If a non-Play Store Galaxy Nexus (i.e. "yakju" or another version) with the same bootloader as the Play Store Nexus - PRIMELA03 were oem locked, Wallet downloaded from the play store and activated and then oem unlocked, would this behavior occur?

4. Maybe it is some sort of trigger put in by Google to eliminate a SE element error, just because they want to prevent complaints? At which point it might be something entirely different?

Edit: (Just thought of this: ) If a Play Store-sourced Galaxy Nexus were flashed from takju to yakju, then oem locked, then oem unlocked, would it be wiped?

This requires more investigation to come to a conclusion and this is without the Sprint Galaxy Nexus in the equation, of course. I hope my ideas on the matter will encourage more discussion, and I apologize for the massive amount of text - I pretty much dumped out all my ideas on the matter so that others can take them to prove/disprove/etc.

Thanks, from XBIRDIE98. (And, no, this is not sent from my galaxy nexus. :) )