United States: rules and approvals
For Zone approval the ANSI/UL and ANSI/ISA 60079 series apply, and ordinary-location electrical safety standards such as ANSI/UL 61010 must also be met.
United States · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Smartphone in United States
The IS-04Z1 is built for people who work inside classified locations at American refineries, gas plants, terminals and wellsites, and for the HSE and IT teams who decide what goes through the gate. If you are specifying an explosion proof smartphone for United States, 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
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereUnited States
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for United States: 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 smartphone for United States
| 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 | United States: Permian Basin, Houston Ship Channel, Beaumont and Port Arthur | Classified by the site operator |
Product · United States
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 United States. 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 · United States
Where an Ex phone is used in United States
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS United States market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- ExxonMobil
- Baytown and Beaumont complexes, Permian acreage
- Chevron
- Permian operations, Pascagoula refinery, Anchor deepwater
- Shell USA
- Mars and Ursa hubs, Vito and Whale platforms
- bp America
- Thunder Horse, Whiting refinery, Kaskida development
- ConocoPhillips
- Permian and Eagle Ford, Alaska North Slope
- Marathon Petroleum
- Galveston Bay and Garyville refineries, MPLX midstream
Industrial areas and sites
- Permian Basin
- Midland and Delaware sub-basins, the largest US oil region
- Houston Ship Channel
- Baytown, Deer Park and Pasadena refining and chemicals
- Beaumont and Port Arthur
- Motiva, ExxonMobil and Valero refining on the Sabine
- Lake Charles and Calcasieu
- Refining, chemicals and LNG export in Louisiana
- Baton Rouge corridor
- Refining and chemical plants toward Plaquemine
- Corpus Christi
- Refining, crude export docks and LNG trains
Field notes · United States
More about United States that matters for portable equipment
United States: geography and layout
The Permian Basin in West Texas and south-eastern New Mexico covers more than 86,000 square miles and extends about 250 miles wide and 300 miles long, so sites are spread over a very large area.
United States: industry on the ground
The Permian is the highest-producing US oil field, averaging 4.2 million barrels of crude a day in 2019, with Midland, Odessa and San Angelo serving as headquarters towns.
United States: rules and approvals
Full certification in the US includes quarterly factory inspections, while field certification offers an alternative for custom or low-volume equipment already at an installation.
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 United States. Explosion-proof is the standard American phrase, and in the US it traditionally points to a heavy enclosure of the kind used in Class I Division 1 locations. The IS-04Z1 takes a different route, using intrinsic safety to limit the energy of a handheld. Reviewers at a refinery or LNG plant should ask which concept is meant.
The route · specification
Specifying an explosion proof smartphone for United States
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 · United States
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an explosion proof smartphone in United States 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 smartphone in United States 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 United States does this cover?
The market guide for United States covers Permian Basin, Houston Ship Channel, Beaumont and Port Arthur, Lake Charles and Calcasieu, 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 Permian Basin?
The basin is dry and sparsely built, so summer heat, dust and long drives between sites are typical. Check the operating temperature range, dust ingress rating and battery life, and confirm any operator-specific site rules, including permits and gas detection practice, with the company controlling the lease.
What FCC approval does a smartphone need in the United States?
Radio-containing devices such as phones normally need FCC equipment authorisation, either by certification through an approved body or a supplier's declaration depending on the device type. Check the FCC rules and consult an accredited test lab or telecommunication certification body for your product's category.
Does the handset cover Class II dust areas in the US?
The Zone 21 design target covers dust at sulfur handling, coal transfer and solids charging, but certification is in progress and no listing exists. Check which Class and Division the final listing covers against your facility's own classification before use.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for United States, other places in United States, and the pages behind them.
NEC 500 Class I Division 1 Mobile Phone Distributor in United StatesSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Supplier in United StatesSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in United StatesSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in United StatesSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in United StatesSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in United StatesSame place, different guide
United States market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for United StatesEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · United States
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for United States
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 · United States
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for United States?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.