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Sony Xperia 10 VIII without Google

On sale Import only Google services LineageOS

Ships with: Google Android; install LineageOS yourself

Touchscreen · 6.1" · 8 GB RAM · 128 GB · 5,000 mAh · 168 g · 153 × 72 × 8.3 mm

Checked against the makers' own pages · Last reviewed November 7, 2026

Where it is sold and how to get one

Sony announced the Xperia 10 VIII in Europe in August 2026 at €599 / £549, in Frozen White, Frosted Gray and Misty Lilac. As of Nov. 7, 2026 Sony's own stores list it as model XQ-GH54: £549 at Sony UK and €599 at Sony Germany, both with an add-to-basket button and a delivery date.

In Japan, Sony began selling it on Oct. 8, 2026 through some carriers and as a SIM-free model in its own store. The Sony Store Japan SIM-free model is XQ-GH44. That model number is not on LineageOS's list (below), so a Japanese unit is the wrong one to buy if you want LineageOS.

From the US: Sony's US store shows no smartphones ("no items found in 'Smartphones'"), and we found no Sony US listing for this phone. A US buyer would have to import a European XQ-GH54, for example through a forwarding address; see our guide to importing a phone to the US. Check the model number on the box or listing before you buy. [1][5][6][7][9][10][11]

Specifications

How to de-Google it yourself

The phone comes with Google's Android 16, with Google apps, Gemini and Circle to Search. To use it without Google, you unlock its bootloader (the lock that lets the phone start only Sony's software) and install a different system yourself.

One system lists it (checked Nov. 7, 2026): LineageOS added the Xperia 10 VIII (codename pdx268) to its official device list on Oct. 30, 2026. Its device page shows LineageOS 24.0 (Android 17) as the current version and lists two supported models, XQ-GH54 and XQ-GH74; the install guide says your model number must be an "exact match." CalyxOS, iodéOS and GrapheneOS don't list it, and /e/OS's device list has no Xperia 10 VIII.

Unlocking, per Sony: Sony's unlock bootloader page lists the Xperia 10 VIII and gives you an unlock code for your phone's IMEI (use IMEI 1 on dual-SIM phones). Sony recommends that standard users not unlock and states these caveats:

- Unlocking "may void the warranty," and Sony says a warranty repair will likely cost "a significant service fee." - Unlocking triggers a factory reset that erases your settings, data and the apps you installed. - Some content may become inaccessible "due to the removal of DRM security keys," which Sony says can affect advanced camera functions such as noise reduction and low-light photos (Sony's example is an older model, the Xperia Z3). - You will not get any more official Sony software upgrades once the bootloader is unlocked.

The LineageOS steps in short: the guide first has you dial `*#*#7378423#*#*` and check that the service menu says "Bootloader unlock allowed: Yes"; you can only continue if it does. The phone must be on Android 16/17 stock firmware first. Then you get the code from Sony, unlock with `fastboot`, flash Lineage Recovery and sideload LineageOS from a computer. LineageOS says unlocking "will erase all data on your device" and that its software comes with no warranty. After installing, the phone may show a warning on every boot; LineageOS says to ignore it. [1][2][3][4][5][8][12][13][14][15]

Apps and Google

Sony's software comes with Google's apps and services: its product page highlights Gemini, Google Photos and Circle to Search with Google.

LineageOS has no Google apps built in. It says licensing rules keep it from including them; if you want them, you install a Google Apps package from recovery right after LineageOS, before the first boot. Or you can set up microG, an open-source stand-in for Google Play services, using LineageOS's own guide.

Some apps may refuse to run: LineageOS says it does not circumvent Play Integrity checks, so "any apps that depend on some kind of device integrity checks passing, will not work." That can include banking and payment apps; see our guide to banking apps on a de-Googled phone. [3][5][16][17]

Will it work in the US?

Probably not well, and Sony doesn't say it does. Sony's UK spec page lists LTE bands 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40 and 41. That includes bands 4 and 5 but none of the low bands US carriers lean on: no band 12, 13, 17 or 71, and no band 2 or 66. Its 5G list includes n41 and n77 but not n71. Compare it with your carrier in our US carrier bands guide and check with your carrier before you buy.

The phone takes one nano SIM plus an eSIM. [8]

Software support

Sony promises up to 4 Android upgrades and up to 6 years of security updates for its own software. Sony Japan notes that the number of upgrades and years of updates depend on when you buy it. Once you unlock the bootloader, Sony's updates stop: Sony says you will not get any more official software upgrades.

With LineageOS, updates come from LineageOS for as long as it builds for this model. Its device page names two maintainers and shows version 24.0 (Android 17) as of Nov. 7, 2026. [1][4][8][18]

What's different

- Headphone jack and microSD: a 3.5 mm jack and a microSDXC slot (up to 2 TB). - Water and dust: IPX5/IPX8 and IP6X. - Shutter button: a dedicated camera button that starts the camera even with the screen off. - Weight: 168 g, with a 5,000 mAh battery that Sony says lasts up to two days. - Sony's Android extras such as the "Rewards & Pay" menu (double-press the power button) are part of Sony's software and won't be on LineageOS. [5][8][9]

Questions people ask