Japan: geography and layout
The Keiyo Industrial Zone runs along the north-eastern coast of Tokyo Bay through eight cities in Chiba Prefecture, from Urayasu to Futtsu, including Chiba, Kisarazu and Ichihara.
Japan · Ex-proof
Ex-Proof Cell Phone in Japan
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in Japan every shift: refinery and petrochemical-complex operators, LNG terminal crews, inspection engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. This page explains what to look for in an Ex-proof cell phone for Japan, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topicEx-proof
DeviceCell Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereJapan
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Japan: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · Ex-proof
Checklist: Ex-proof cell phone for Japan
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ex marking | Group, category, protection concept, gas group, temperature class | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 (target) |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC matched to the area drawing | IIC (target) |
| Temperature class | T-class below the ignition temperature of the gas | T4, 135 °C (target) |
| Where it applies | Japan: Sakai, Kashima, Mizushima | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Japan
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Japan. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The market · Japan
Where an Ex phone is used in Japan
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS Japan market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- ENEOS
- Japan’s largest oil refiner and petroleum products company
- Idemitsu Kosan
- Major refiner and petrochemical producer
- Cosmo Oil
- Refining and petrochemical operations nationwide
- JAPEX
- Japan Petroleum Exploration — domestic upstream production
- Mitsubishi Chemical
- Major petrochemical producer with complexes including Kashima
- JERA
- Japan’s largest power generator, with major LNG and thermal assets
Industrial areas and sites
- Kashima
- Large integrated petrochemical complex in Ibaraki
- Mizushima
- Major refining and petrochemical complex in Okayama
- Chiba / Sodegaura
- Petrochemical and refining complex on Tokyo Bay
- Yokkaichi
- One of Japan’s oldest and largest petrochemical complexes, Mie prefecture
- Sakai
- Refining and petrochemical operations near Osaka
Field notes · Japan
More about Japan that matters for portable equipment
Japan: rules and approvals
As of July 2026 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare lists eight registered examination bodies for this equipment, including TIIS and several bodies outside Japan.
Japan: rules and approvals
Since a January 2017 notice an IECEx test report can be submitted as the applicant's prior test results, and a certificate is valid for three years.
Japan: logistics and access
The Port of Nagoya in Ise Bay is described as Japan's largest and busiest trading port, handling about 10% of the country's trade by value, and has been run by the Nagoya Port Authority since 1951.
The term · Ex-proof
What “Ex-proof” means for a smartphone
“Ex-proof” is shorthand for equipment carrying an explosion-protection marking (the Ex mark) that matches the area it enters. The marking states the protection concept, gas or dust group and temperature class, and it must be backed by a certificate issued by a recognised body, so a phone described as Ex-proof should come with a certificate number you can check.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to carry the marking II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. That is a target: certification is in progress, no certificate has been issued, and SAMS will publish the certificate numbers when they exist.
In Japan. A Japanese marking check would compare gas group, dust capability, category and temperature class with the complex's zone plan. Refining, petrochemical and LNG areas can differ, so the group needed follows the operator's classification. The IS-04Z1 marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, and it is not a granted marking.
The route · specification
Specifying an Ex-proof cell phone for Japan
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · Japan
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an Ex-proof cell phone in Japan today?
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
What does an Ex-proof cell phone in Japan cost?
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
What Ex marking will the IS-04Z1 carry?
The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. It becomes a marking only when the certificate is issued; until then it is a design target.
Which sites in Japan does this cover?
The market guide for Japan covers Kashima, Mizushima, Chiba / Sodegaura, Yokkaichi, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
What radio approval does a phone need in Japan?
Radio equipment is covered by the Telec technical conformity scheme, and the certified-products database can be searched to check a model. Requirements depend on the radio technologies in the device, so confirm with a registered certification body before importing.
Can an IECEx report speed up approval in Japan?
Since 2017 an IECEx test report can be submitted as the applicant's prior test results, which can reduce testing, but the Japanese type examination certificate is still required, and it is valid for three years. Confirm the reports accepted with the chosen examination body.
Will a handset cope with typhoon-season humidity and salt air?
The IS-04Z1 has IP68 sealing, which helps with water, dust and salt-laden air. That is an ingress rating only. Ask for the datasheet's operating ranges and test a unit during a humid season round at a coastal site.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Japan, and on other places in Japan.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in JapanSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in JapanSame place, different guide
Japan market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for JapanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Japan
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Japan
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · Japan
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Japan?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.