Canada: geography and layout
Fort McMurray sits in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands, 435 km north-east of Edmonton on Highway 63, surrounded by boreal forest, so access is largely by one road or by air.
Canada · Ex-proof
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in Canada
The IS-04Z1 is an Ex phone for people working inside classified areas at Canadian oil sands plants, gas plants, refineries and offshore platforms. This page sets out how an Ex-proof mobile phone supply route to Canada 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
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSupply
WhereCanada
Short answer. An Ex-proof mobile phone for Canada 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.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. 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 mobile phone for Canada
| 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 | Canada: Sarnia Chemical Valley, Kitimat and the north coast, Athabasca oil sands | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Canada
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 Canada. 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 · Canada
Hazardous-area industry in Canada
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Canada market guide covers.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Suncor Energy
- Base Plant, Fort Hills, Sarnia and Edmonton refining
- Cenovus Energy
- Foster Creek, Christina Lake, Lloydminster, offshore Atlantic
- Imperial Oil
- Kearl and Cold Lake, Strathcona and Sarnia refineries
- Canadian Natural Resources
- Horizon and Albian mining, Jackfish and Primrose thermal
- Syncrude
- Mildred Lake mining and upgrading, operated by Suncor
- Shell Canada
- Scotford upgrader, refinery and chemicals in the Heartland
Industrial areas and sites
- Athabasca oil sands
- Fort McMurray mines, upgraders and in situ plants
- Cold Lake and the Lakeland
- Thermal in situ pads and steam generation
- Alberta Industrial Heartland
- Fort Saskatchewan, Scotford and Redwater refining and chemicals
- Montney and Duvernay
- Gas plants around Grande Prairie and Fort St John
- Sarnia Chemical Valley
- Three refineries and dozens of chemical plants
- Kitimat and the north coast
- LNG Canada trains and jetty, Cedar LNG building
Field notes · Canada
More about Canada that matters for portable equipment
Canada: rules and approvals
Radio and wireless devices sold in Canada need ISED certification against the Radio Standards Specifications, such as RSS-247 for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and RSS-Gen for general requirements and labelling.
Canada: climate and equipment wear
Fort McMurray averages minus 17.2 degrees Celsius in January, with a recorded low of minus 53.3 degrees, so batteries, touchscreens and enclosures need to work in deep cold.
Canada: rules and approvals
Canada also accepts field certification for custom-made or low-volume equipment, evaluated at the installation site, which is similar to unit verification under the IECEx and ATEX systems.
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 Canada. A marking check in Canada would look at the ambient range first: unless a certificate says otherwise, equipment is assessed for minus 20 to plus 40 degrees Celsius, which matters before a January shift at Fort McMurray. Gas group, T class and the Division marking follow. The target marking is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for Canada
Nothing can be bought for Canada today: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, and SAMS will supply end users through authorised distributors once certificates exist. What a buyer can do now is take the specification, ask for the written certification schedule and arrange a safe-area evaluation, so that the right local channel contacts you 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 · Canada
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an Ex-proof mobile phone in Canada today?
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
What does an Ex-proof mobile phone in Canada 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 Canada does this cover?
The market guide for Canada covers Athabasca oil sands, Cold Lake and the Lakeland, Alberta Industrial Heartland, Montney and Duvernay, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How will SAMS supply Canada?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
What radio approval does a smartphone need in Canada?
Devices with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or cellular radios generally need ISED certification and must meet the applicable Radio Standards Specifications, along with interference limits such as ICES-003. A certification body recognised by ISED can issue it. Confirm the exact requirements for your device with ISED or an accredited body.
Do Canadian sites use Zones or Divisions?
The Canadian Electrical Code now uses Zones in Section 18, while Class and Division rules remain in Annex J for existing installations, so older plants may still be classified by Division. Check the classification drawing for the area and make sure the device marking matches the system used there.
Does the phone carry both Zone and Division markings?
The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, with Class I Division 1 pursued on the same intrinsic safety basis. Nothing has been issued: certification is in progress. Canadian Section 18 classifies by Zone while Annex J18 keeps Division. Check which system your site's drawings use before anything is specified.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Canada, and on other places in Canada.
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in CanadaSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier in CanadaSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in CanadaSame place, different guide
NEC 500 Class I Division 1 Mobile Phone in CanadaSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Supplier in CanadaSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Supplier in CanadaSame place, different guide
Canada market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for CanadaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Canada
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Canada
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 · Canada
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Canada?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.