United States: rules and approvals
Zone-rated equipment in the US carries the AEx marking, for example Class I, Zone 0, AEx ia IIC T6, so a datasheet showing only ATEX or IECEx marks does not show US approval.
United States · IECEx
IECEx Cell Phone 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. This page explains what to look for in an IECEx cell phone for United States, 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 topicIECEx
DeviceCell Phone
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.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx cell phone for United States
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Number checkable on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Standards edition | The IEC 60079 edition the certificate cites | Stated on the certificate when issued |
| Schedule of conditions | Limits of use, batteries and accessories | Published with the certificate |
| 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 this applies in United States
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in 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: rules and approvals
US workplace rules accept electrical equipment in explosive atmospheres only if it is approved by an OSHA-recognised NRTL, and OSHA states that the NRTL's specific mark is required, so CE and ATEX do not count.
United States: industry on the ground
The Permian also yields potash, mined by the room-and-pillar method in Lea and Eddy counties in New Mexico, which adds mining and mineral-dust hazards to the oil and gas activity.
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.
The term · IECEx
What “IECEx” means for a smartphone
IECEx is the international scheme for certifying equipment used in explosive atmospheres. A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited certification body against a specific edition of the IEC 60079 standards and carries a schedule of conditions of safe use. It is not a legal requirement in most countries on its own, but many national schemes accept it as the technical basis.
The IECEx certificate for the IS-04Z1 is in progress and has not been issued. The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, the intrinsic safety concept for Zone 1 gas with the hardest gas group (IIC) and a 135 °C temperature class.
In United States. IECEx matters in the US through multinational operators and EPC crews, among them Bechtel, Fluor and KBR, who work to international schemes across projects at home and abroad. A certificate of conformity and its schedule of conditions gives them a common reference beside the NEC listing. The IS-04Z1 IECEx certification is in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx cell phone 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 IECEx cell phone in United States today?
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.
What does an IECEx cell phone in United States cost?
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
Does the IS-04Z1 hold an IECEx certificate?
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
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.
Is IECEx or ATEX certification enough for US hazardous locations?
Not on its own. US workplace rules accept equipment approved by an OSHA-recognised NRTL and marked accordingly, and ATEX or IECEx certificates are not accepted in their place. Manufacturers usually need a separate US listing, so check the NRTL mark and the Class, Division or Zone marking on any device.
Do US sites use Class and Division or Zone classification?
Both exist. Article 500 of the National Electrical Code defines the Class and Division system, and Articles 505 and 506 define Zones. Many existing refineries and gas plants are still classified by Division, so confirm which system the area drawing uses before selecting equipment markings.
Can one handset suit both a Permian wellpad and a North Dakota gas plant?
IP68 sealing and a rugged build are aimed at August heat and January cold, and the 4,000 mAh battery at a shift away from the truck. The approved ambient range will come from the certificate, which is in progress, so confirm it for both extremes.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for United States and for United States.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in United StatesSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Distributor in United StatesSame place, different guide
NEC 500 Class I Division 1 Mobile Phone Distributor in United StatesSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in United StatesSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in United StatesSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor 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
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 · 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.