United States: rules and approvals
The FCC regulates radio frequency devices between 9 kHz and 3000 GHz, and most radio-containing products must follow an equipment authorisation procedure before being marketed.
United States · Ex-proof
Ex-Proof Cell Phone Supplier in United States
The IS-04Z1 is built for people who work inside classified locations at American refineries, gas plants, terminals and wellsites, and for the HSE and IT teams who decide what goes through the gate. This page sets out how an Ex-proof cell phone supply route to United States will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
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
RouteSupply
WhereUnited States
Short answer. An Ex-proof cell phone for United States cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · Ex-proof
Checklist: Ex-proof cell phone for United States
| 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 | United States: Baton Rouge corridor, Corpus Christi, Permian Basin | Classified by the site operator |
Product · United States
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 United States. 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 · United States
Hazardous-area industry in United States
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS United States market guide covers.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- ExxonMobil
- Baytown and Beaumont complexes, Permian acreage
- Chevron
- Permian operations, Pascagoula refinery, Anchor deepwater
- Shell USA
- Mars and Ursa hubs, Vito and Whale platforms
- bp America
- Thunder Horse, Whiting refinery, Kaskida development
- ConocoPhillips
- Permian and Eagle Ford, Alaska North Slope
- Marathon Petroleum
- Galveston Bay and Garyville refineries, MPLX midstream
Industrial areas and sites
- Permian Basin
- Midland and Delaware sub-basins, the largest US oil region
- Houston Ship Channel
- Baytown, Deer Park and Pasadena refining and chemicals
- Beaumont and Port Arthur
- Motiva, ExxonMobil and Valero refining on the Sabine
- Lake Charles and Calcasieu
- Refining, chemicals and LNG export in Louisiana
- Baton Rouge corridor
- Refining and chemical plants toward Plaquemine
- Corpus Christi
- Refining, crude export docks and LNG trains
Field notes · United States
More about United States that matters for portable equipment
United States: rules and approvals
Zone-rated equipment in the US carries the AEx marking, for example Class I, Zone 0, AEx ia IIC T6, so a datasheet showing only ATEX or IECEx marks does not show US approval.
United States: rules and approvals
US workplace rules accept electrical equipment in explosive atmospheres only if it is approved by an OSHA-recognised NRTL, and OSHA states that the NRTL's specific mark is required, so CE and ATEX do not count.
United States: industry on the ground
The Permian also yields potash, mined by the room-and-pillar method in Lea and Eddy counties in New Mexico, which adds mining and mineral-dust hazards to the oil and gas activity.
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 United States. A US marking check reads the ATEX target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 and the Class I Division 1 listing pursued on the same basis. IIC maps to NEC Groups A and B, above Group D. Combustible dust at sulfur handling, coal transfer and solids charging is read against Zone 21 and Class II.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for United States
Supply of the IS-04Z1 to United States starts only after certification, through authorised distributors. Until then a buyer can request the datasheet and the written certification schedule, and arrange a safe-area evaluation unit, which puts the site on the list for the right local channel at launch.
- 01
Request the datasheet
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
- 02
Ask for the certification schedule
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
- 03
Evaluate in a safe area
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
- 04
Register for launch
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
Questions · United States
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an Ex-proof cell phone in United States today?
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
What does an Ex-proof cell phone in United States 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 United States does this cover?
The market guide for United States covers Permian Basin, Houston Ship Channel, Beaumont and Port Arthur, Lake Charles and Calcasieu, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How will SAMS supply United States?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
What conditions affect devices in the Permian Basin?
The basin is dry and sparsely built, so summer heat, dust and long drives between sites are typical. Check the operating temperature range, dust ingress rating and battery life, and confirm any operator-specific site rules, including permits and gas detection practice, with the company controlling the lease.
What FCC approval does a smartphone need in the United States?
Radio-containing devices such as phones normally need FCC equipment authorisation, either by certification through an approved body or a supplier's declaration depending on the device type. Check the FCC rules and consult an accredited test lab or telecommunication certification body for your product's category.
Does the handset cover Class II dust areas in the US?
The Zone 21 design target covers dust at sulfur handling, coal transfer and solids charging, but certification is in progress and no listing exists. Check which Class and Division the final listing covers against your facility's own classification before use.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on United States, and on other places in United States.
NEC 500 Class I Division 1 Mobile Phone Supplier in United StatesSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in United StatesSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in United StatesSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in United StatesSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in United StatesSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in United StatesSame place, different guide
United States market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for United StatesEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · United States
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for United States
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · United States
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for United States?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.