Norway: background
North Sea oil was discovered in Norwegian waters in the late 1960s, and oil and gas exports have since become a central part of the Norwegian economy, with a mature and well-developed offshore supply chain.
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, from a wet deck in the northern North Sea to a winter round on the Barents coast. Most of Norway's electricity is generated by hydroelectric plants, so dams, tunnels and power stations are a separate type of industrial site alongside oil and gas. A hazardous area cell phone distributor in Norway would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Norway has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
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.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Norway: Kårstø, Kollsnes, Mongstad | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Norway. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Norway market guide.
North Sea oil was discovered in Norwegian waters in the late 1960s, and oil and gas exports have since become a central part of the Norwegian economy, with a mature and well-developed offshore supply chain.
Mongstad in Vestland county has Norway's largest refinery at about 12 million tonnes of crude a year, a crude terminal with 9.5 million barrels of storage, and Norway's biggest port by tonnage.
Norway was the eighth largest crude oil exporter and the third largest natural gas exporter in 2011, with gas exports of 99 billion cubic metres, so gas processing and export terminals are major classified-area sites.
Equinor, formed by the 2007 merger of Statoil with Norsk Hydro's oil and gas division, is headquartered in Stavanger, with the Norwegian state as its largest shareholder at 67% as of 2017.
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Norway. Classified areas here run in a line from the shelf to the coast: Stavanger and Sola, Bergen and Flesland, Kårstø, Kollsnes, Mongstad, Nyhamna and Hammerfest, and the Grenland parks at Herøya and Rafnes. The operator classifies each area, so SAMS does not supply drawings. Johan Castberg began producing in the Barents Sea in 2025.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Norway. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
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.
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.
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
The market guide for Norway covers Stavanger and Sola, Bergen and Flesland, Kårstø, Kollsnes, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Norway.
Winters are cold and offshore conditions are wet, windy and salt-laden, so check the lowest rated ambient temperature, the water ingress rating and touch operation with gloves. Cold reduces battery capacity, so spare batteries and warm storage are typically recommended.
Stavanger is the headquarters of Equinor and a hub for offshore supply, while processing plants such as Mongstad and Rafnes were built by Statoil and Norsk Hydro. Gas terminals and refineries are along the west coast. Confirm current operations with the operator.
Android 16 with EMM and MDM is designed so a device can be wiped, re-enrolled and reissued to the incoming crew, including from the beach before the helicopter. Your own telecoms policy decides how that is done, so agree the process with your IT team before deployment.
Other guides for Norway, other places in Norway, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.