New Zealand: infrastructure
Ahuroa Gas Storage Facility is the country's only underground gas storage site, so compressor, wellhead and storage-related classified areas are concentrated in a small number of places.
New Zealand · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in New Zealand
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in New Zealand every shift: Taranaki gas-field operators, methanol and fertiliser plant crews, dairy-processing engineers managing milk-powder dust risk, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. This page explains what to look for in an explosion proof mobile phone for New Zealand, 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
WhereNew Zealand
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for New Zealand: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · explosion proof
Checklist: explosion proof mobile phone for New Zealand
| 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 | New Zealand: Kapuni, Marsden Point, Dairy processing sites nationwide | Classified by the site operator |
Product · New Zealand
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 New Zealand. 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 · New Zealand
Where an Ex phone is used in New Zealand
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS New Zealand market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Methanex
- Methanol production at Motunui, Taranaki; the Waitara Valley plant has been idle since 2021
- Todd Energy
- Upstream gas and condensate production in the Taranaki basin
- OMV New Zealand
- Operator of Maui, Pohokura and other Taranaki offshore and onshore fields
- Ballance Agri-Nutrients
- Urea and ammonia production at Kapuni, Taranaki
- Fonterra
- The world’s largest dairy exporter — milk-powder drying and processing nationwide
- Channel Infrastructure
- Operator of the former Marsden Point refinery, now a fuel import terminal
Industrial areas and sites
- Taranaki
- New Zealand’s principal oil, gas and petrochemical region
- Motunui / Waitara Valley
- Methanex methanol production complexes
- Kapuni
- Gas field and Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser plant
- Marsden Point
- Former refinery, now Channel Infrastructure’s import terminal, Northland
- Dairy processing sites nationwide
- Fonterra and other processors’ milk-powder drying towers and storage
Field notes · New Zealand
More about New Zealand that matters for portable equipment
New Zealand: infrastructure
About 2,600 km of high-pressure gas transmission pipeline runs in the North Island, led by the 307 km Maui pipeline carrying 78% of production; there is no gas transmission in the South Island.
New Zealand: geography and layout
All domestic oil and gas comes from 21 petroleum permits in the Taranaki basin, with Kapuni, Maui, Pohokura and Kupe the most important fields, which concentrates upstream work on the west coast of the North Island.
New Zealand: people and language
Hazardous-area inspections are done by suitably registered inspectors working to AS/NZS 60079.17 and AS/NZS 3000, with a verification dossier and records kept, so documents for any device should be easy to supply.
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 New Zealand. On a Taranaki gas site, explosion proof is shorthand, but the protection concepts differ. Flameproof Ex d is common for fixed gas-field equipment, while the IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety to limit energy. At Kapuni and Motunui, that is the concept that suits a handset carried on rounds through process areas.
The route · specification
Specifying an explosion proof mobile phone for New Zealand
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 · New Zealand
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an explosion proof mobile phone in New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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.
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 New Zealand does this cover?
The market guide for New Zealand covers Taranaki, Motunui / Waitara Valley, Kapuni, Marsden Point, 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.
Which standard governs Ex equipment selection in New Zealand?
Electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres is generally selected and inspected to AS/NZS 60079, the local adoption of the IEC 60079 series, alongside AS/NZS 3000 for installations. IECEx certificates are widely accepted as evidence, but confirm the exact requirement with the site operator or your inspector.
What records does a hazardous-area inspection in New Zealand expect for a handheld device?
Inspectors typically look for equipment marking suited to the zone, the certificate or verification dossier, and a record of inspection under AS/NZS 60079.17. Keep the certificate number, marking photo and any manufacturer instructions with the asset register entry.
Will the 4,000 mAh battery last a full shift?
The battery is sized for a working day of plant rounds, but real life depends on use of camera, GNSS and radio. There is no recharge point inside a classified area, so plan to charge in a safe area. Test the device on your own round before relying on it.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for New Zealand and for New Zealand.
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in New ZealandSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Supplier in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in New ZealandSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone in New ZealandSame place, different guide
New Zealand market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for New ZealandEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · New Zealand
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for New Zealand
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 · New Zealand
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for New Zealand?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.