Australia: people and language
The Pilbara has more than 45,000 residents, most living in the western third in towns such as Port Hedland, Karratha and Wickham, while the eastern third is almost entirely desert.
Australia · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in Australia
A Zone 1 / Zone 21 smartphone for crews on Australian LNG trains, offshore facilities, processing plants and remote mine sites. This page explains what to look for in an explosion proof mobile phone for Australia, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
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
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereAustralia
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Australia: 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 mobile phone for Australia
| 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 | Australia: Karratha and the Burrup Peninsula, Onslow, Western Australia, Darwin | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Australia
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 Australia. 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 · Australia
Where this applies in Australia
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Australia market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Woodside Energy
- North West Shelf, Pluto LNG and the Karratha Gas Plant
- Chevron Australia
- Gorgon on Barrow Island and Wheatstone at Onslow
- INPEX
- Ichthys LNG at Darwin and Browse Basin facilities
- Shell Australia
- Prelude FLNG and QCLNG on Curtis Island
- Santos
- GLNG at Gladstone and the Moomba gas plant
- ConocoPhillips and Origin Energy
- Australia Pacific LNG and Surat Basin coal seam gas
Industrial areas and sites
- Karratha and the Burrup Peninsula
- Karratha Gas Plant, Pluto LNG and offshore support
- Onslow, Western Australia
- Wheatstone LNG and the Ashburton North estate
- Darwin
- Ichthys LNG, marine supply base and harbour work
- Gladstone and Curtis Island
- Three LNG trains plus alumina and coal wharves
- Bowen Basin, Queensland
- Coal mining, methane drainage and handling plants
- Pilbara, Western Australia
- Iron ore mines, workshops and bulk fuel handling
Field notes · Australia
More about Australia that matters for portable equipment
Australia: geography and layout
The Pilbara covers 507,896 square kilometres in the north of Western Australia, a large, dry, sparsely populated region known for iron ore, with four local government areas.
Australia: rules and approvals
ANZEx has been owned by JAS-ANZ since August 2016, and Queensland's Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 took effect on 1 September 2026, so state rules continue to evolve.
Australia: rules and approvals
Operators typically check for a current IECEx or ANZEx certificate, a suitable gas group and temperature class, a Hazardous Area Verification Dossier under AS/NZS 60079.14 and installer competency.
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 Australia. Explosion-proof is the everyday phrase, but at the Karratha Gas Plant or a Curtis Island LNG train the question is which protection concept fits. Flameproof Ex d contains an internal explosion; the IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety to limit energy instead, which suits a handheld carried through liquefaction and processing areas. The operator classifies the area.
The route · specification
Specifying an explosion proof mobile phone for Australia
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 · Australia
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an explosion proof mobile phone in Australia 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 explosion proof mobile phone in Australia 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 Australia does this cover?
The market guide for Australia covers Karratha and the Burrup Peninsula, Onslow, Western Australia, Darwin, Gladstone and Curtis Island, 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.
What conditions affect devices in the Pilbara?
The Pilbara is hot, dry and dusty, with long distances between sites and towns. Check the operating temperature range, dust ingress rating and battery life in heat, and confirm with the operator any site rules on permits, inductions and mobile devices in classified areas.
What is the Hazardous Area Verification Dossier?
It is the installation documentation expected under AS/NZS 60079.14, showing that the equipment, its certificate and its installation suit the classified area. Operators and inspectors look for it before energising equipment, so ask the site electrical team what must be supplied with portable and fixed equipment.
Will a handset cope with Pilbara heat and a long roster day?
The target marking is T4 with the ambient range to be fixed on the certificate, which is not yet issued. The 4,000 mAh battery is sized for a roster day with radio, camera and GNSS running. Check the certified range against your site's worst summer ambient and trial a unit before fleet orders.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Australia, and on other places in Australia.
Industrial Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in AustraliaSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in AustraliaSame place, different guide
Australia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for AustraliaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Australia
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Australia
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 · Australia
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Australia?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.