Switzerland: projects and investment
The Mantelerlass, passed on 29 September 2023, sets a target of 35 TWh a year from new renewable technologies by 2035, compared with about 6 TWh a year in 2022, which implies major construction work.
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for solvent and powder atmospheres, from a production building in Basel or Visp to a loading rack at Cressier and a digester hall at a cantonal wastewater works. This page explains what to look for in an explosion proof cell phone for Switzerland, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Switzerland: 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.
| 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 | Switzerland: Basel and Schweizerhalle, Visp, Monthey | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Switzerland. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Switzerland market guide covers.
The Mantelerlass, passed on 29 September 2023, sets a target of 35 TWh a year from new renewable technologies by 2035, compared with about 6 TWh a year in 2022, which implies major construction work.
Hydraulic power was used instead of steam in Swiss industry because of the mountainous terrain and lack of coal, which explains the concentration of hydro stations and tunnels in the Alps.
Switzerland produces no fossil fuels and imports petroleum, so refining and bulk fuel handling is limited, while storage depots and distribution terminals are the main flammable-liquid sites.
The three Rhine ports around Basel handle about six million tonnes and over 120,000 containers a year, roughly 10% of Swiss imports and a third of the country's mineral oil products.
“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 Switzerland. Explosion-proof is the everyday phrase, but at a Swiss fine chemical plant the real subject is solvent atmospheres in a validated building. Flameproof Ex d suits heavy enclosures, while the IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety to limit the energy of a handheld, which a reviewer weighs against cleaning and airlock procedures.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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.
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.
The market guide for Switzerland covers Basel and Schweizerhalle, Visp, Monthey, Kaisten and the Fricktal, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
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.
Switzerland is not an EU member, but it generally aligns its equipment rules with European requirements, so ATEX-marked devices are commonly accepted. Confirm the current requirement and any Swiss conformity marking with the site operator or your importer before ordering.
German, French and Italian are all national languages depending on the canton, and many industrial sites also work in English. Ask the operator which language it requires for instructions and certificates, and provide the declaration of conformity together with the Ex marking details.
IP68 sealing and a rugged build are aimed at a cleaned plant rather than a rained-on one, but your cleaning agents and routine must be checked. Test a unit with your own procedure and confirm compatibility with the site's validation team.
More on Switzerland, and on other places in Switzerland.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.