Pakistan: logistics and access
Port Qasim near Karachi handles about 35% of Pakistan's cargo, roughly 17 million tonnes a year, and with Karachi port carries almost 90% of external trade, so most imported equipment clears through these two ports.
Pakistan · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Cell Phone in Pakistan
A Zone 1 / Zone 21 smartphone for crews on the gas fields of Sindh and Balochistan, the refineries at Karachi, Attock and Mahmood Kot, the LNG terminals at Port Qasim and the fertiliser plants. If you are specifying an explosion proof cell phone for Pakistan, 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 topicexplosion proof
DeviceCell Phone
RouteSpecification
WherePakistan
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Pakistan: 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. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · explosion proof
Checklist: explosion proof cell phone for Pakistan
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Protection concept | Flameproof (Ex d) or intrinsic safety (Ex i) | Intrinsic safety, level ib |
| Zone suitability | Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust | Design target for Zone 1 and 21 |
| Certificate | Number, issuing body and schedule of conditions | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Pakistan: Sui, Balochistan, Daharki and Ghotki, Sindh, Port Qasim, Karachi | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Pakistan
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 Pakistan. 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 · Pakistan
Where an Ex phone is used in Pakistan
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS Pakistan market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- OGDCL
- National exploration and production company, operator of many onshore fields
- Pakistan Petroleum Limited
- Operator of the Sui gas field and other onshore fields
- Mari Energies
- Operator of the Mari gas field at Daharki
- SNGPL and SSGC
- Gas transmission and distribution, north and south
- Pak-Arab Refinery (PARCO)
- The Mid-Country Refinery and white oil pipelines
- Attock Refinery
- Refinery at Morgah near Rawalpindi
Industrial areas and sites
- Sui, Balochistan
- Pakistan's historic gas field and its processing plant
- Daharki and Ghotki, Sindh
- The Mari gas field and fertiliser plants
- Port Qasim, Karachi
- LNG import terminals, refining and petroleum storage
- Korangi, Karachi
- Refineries and product terminals
- Hub, Balochistan
- Coastal refinery and storage
- Mahmood Kot, Muzaffargarh
- The PARCO Mid-Country Refinery
Field notes · Pakistan
More about Pakistan that matters for portable equipment
Pakistan: industry on the ground
Five main refineries have a combined capacity of about 450,000 barrels a day, producing diesel, motor gasoline, furnace oil, jet fuel, kerosene, LPG and naphtha, so product storage and loading areas are widespread.
Pakistan: industry on the ground
The Thar coalfield in Sindh covers over 9,000 square kilometres and holds an estimated 200 billion tonnes of lignite; the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company is the principal mining operator there.
Pakistan: geography and layout
The Toot oil field in Punjab, about 135 km south-west of Islamabad, saw its first well in 1964 and commercial production from 1967, showing that upstream work also happens in the inland north.
The term · explosion proof
What “explosion proof” means for a smartphone
“Explosion proof” is the phrase most buyers use for equipment that may be taken into a classified hazardous area. Strictly, it covers several protection concepts: a flameproof enclosure (Ex d) contains an internal explosion, while intrinsic safety (Ex i) limits electrical energy so that an ignition cannot start. Phones are normally intrinsically safe, because a flameproof handset would be too heavy to carry all shift.
The IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, with a marking target of Ex ib IIC T4, and is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21. It is pre-launch, certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
In Pakistan. Gas crews at Sui and Mari say explosion proof for anything used near hydrocarbons, but the concepts differ. Flameproof Ex d suits fixed equipment, while the IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, Ex ib. That is the concept that suits a handset carried through a wellsite, a compressor station or a refinery unit at Mahmood Kot or Morgah.
The route · specification
Specifying an explosion proof cell phone for Pakistan
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 · Pakistan
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an explosion proof cell phone in Pakistan 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 explosion proof cell phone in Pakistan 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.
Is the IS-04Z1 explosion proof or intrinsically safe?
It is intrinsically safe (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), which is the usual way to make a phone for hazardous areas. It is not a flameproof (Ex d) design, and certification is still in progress.
Which sites in Pakistan does this cover?
The market guide for Pakistan covers Sui, Balochistan, Daharki and Ghotki, Sindh, Port Qasim, Karachi, Korangi, Karachi, 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.
Where in Pakistan are oil and gas facilities that need Zone 1 devices?
Examples include the Sui gas area in Balochistan, the Toot field in Punjab, Lower Sindh gas fields and the five main refineries. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is decided by each operator, so ask for its hazardous-area drawings.
Do Pakistani operators accept IECEx or ATEX paperwork for handheld devices?
Operators commonly ask for recognised international certification such as IECEx or ATEX against IEC 60079, but acceptance is set site by site. Request the operator's equipment approval procedure and provide certificates, marking details and manufacturer instructions with your submission.
What if mobile coverage is poor on remote fields?
Coverage depends on the carrier, not the handset. The device is designed to fall back to plant Wi-Fi where the signal is thin, but that depends on the site's network. Confirm with the field operator what connectivity is available before relying on it for work orders.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Pakistan and for Pakistan.
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in PakistanSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in PakistanSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in PakistanSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Supplier in PakistanSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in PakistanSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in PakistanSame place, different guide
Pakistan market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for PakistanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Pakistan
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Pakistan
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · Pakistan
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Pakistan?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.