Shipbuilding
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries builds tankers, LNG carriers and FPSOs at Ulsan and merged with HD Hyundai Mipo in 2025.
Ulsan · Ex-proof
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in Ulsan
Ulsan has more than 1.1 million residents and the highest GDP per capita of any region in South Korea, at about 65,352 dollars in 2020, with a deep pool of industrial technicians. Process plants, tank farms and shipyard work create extensive Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas. If you are specifying an Ex-proof mobile phone for Ulsan, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
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
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereUlsan
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Ulsan: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · Ex-proof
Checklist: Ex-proof mobile phone for Ulsan
| 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 | Ulsan: Refinery process units, Petrochemical plants, Tank farms | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Ulsan
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 Ulsan. 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 site · Ulsan
Working in Ulsan: operators and classified areas
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
Operators and companies on site
- SK Energy
- S-Oil
- HD Hyundai Heavy Industries
Classified areas to expect
- Refinery process units
- Petrochemical plants
- Tank farms
- Shipyard tank and cargo-space work
Local conditions · Ulsan
Conditions in Ulsan that affect handheld equipment
Refining
SK Energy and S-Oil operate refineries in Ulsan; S-Oil's Onsan refinery had about 650,000 barrels per day in 2016.
Field notes · Ulsan
More about Ulsan that matters for portable equipment
Ulsan: climate and equipment wear
Ulsan has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, with monthly means from 2.0 degrees Celsius in January to 25.9 degrees in August and high rainfall from April to September.
Ulsan: infrastructure
The Ulsan Green Hydrogen Town project had laid 188 km of underground pipelines by October 2024 to carry hydrogen, a by-product of petrochemical complexes, to the city centre.
Ulsan: background
Ulsan was designated a Special Industrial Zone in 1962 under South Korea's first five-year plan, and Hyundai Heavy Industries founded its shipyard there in 1973, turning it into a company town.
Ulsan: projects and investment
S-Oil is scheduled to complete the Shaheen Project, one of the world's largest petrochemical facilities with an investment of nine trillion won, by 2026, adding new process areas in Ulsan.
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 Ulsan. Extensive Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas arise at process plants, tank farms and in shipyard tank and cargo spaces. Refinery fuels are commonly Group IIA or IIB, while petrochemical streams can need IIC. The IS-04Z1 target marking is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, not yet issued, and operators decide.
The route · specification
Specifying an Ex-proof mobile phone for Ulsan
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 · Ulsan
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an Ex-proof mobile phone in Ulsan 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 mobile phone in Ulsan cost?
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated 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 areas at Ulsan would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units, petrochemical plants, tank farms, shipyard tank and cargo-space work. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
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.
Is the Ulsan climate hard on handheld equipment?
Summers are hot and humid with heavy rain from April to September, and winters are cold but dry, with a January mean around 2 degrees. Typically users want good ingress protection, battery performance in cold weather, and cleaning routines in coastal air.
Why does hydrogen matter for equipment choice in Ulsan?
Hydrogen is in a more demanding gas group than most hydrocarbons, and Ulsan has 188 km of hydrogen pipelines and a green-hydrogen town project. Where hydrogen is present, operators typically specify the gas group, so check what the site requires before selecting devices.
Who usually buys equipment for Ulsan plants?
Purchasing is normally handled by the operator or its maintenance contractors, and permits follow the operator's own rules. SAMS has appointed no distributor. Ask the operator whether contractors may bring their own devices, and confirm with the site operator.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Ulsan, and on other places in South Korea.
Industrial Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in UlsanSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in DaesanElsewhere in South Korea
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in PohangElsewhere in South Korea
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in YeosuElsewhere in South Korea
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in IncheonElsewhere in South Korea
South Korea market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for South KoreaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Ulsan
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Ulsan, South Korea
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · Ulsan
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Ulsan?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.