China: rules and approvals
Explosion-protected electrical products in China need CCC certification, mandatory since 1 October 2020, to the GB/T 3836 series, which is China's adoption of IEC 60079.
China · IECEx
IECEx Mobile Phone in China
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in China every shift: oilfield and refinery operators, coal-mining safety officers, petrochemical engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. This page explains what to look for in an IECEx mobile phone for China, 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
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereChina
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for China: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx mobile phone for China
| 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 | China: Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, Daqing | Classified by the site operator |
Product · China
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 China. 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 · China
Where this applies in China
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS China market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Sinopec
- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation — refining, petrochemicals and retail nationwide
- PetroChina (CNPC)
- Upstream oil and gas production and refining
- China Energy Investment Corporation
- The world’s largest coal producer, formed from Shenhua and Guodian
- CNOOC
- Offshore oil and gas production
- Yanzhou Coal / Yankuang
- Major coal mining group in Shandong and beyond
- Daqing Oilfield
- One of China’s largest and oldest producing oilfields
Industrial areas and sites
- Shanxi
- China’s largest coal-producing province
- Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia
- Major coal mining and coal-chemical regions
- Daqing
- Heilongjiang oilfield, one of the largest in China
- Shengli oilfield
- Major producing field in Shandong
- Zhoushan / Ningbo
- Large-scale coastal refining and petrochemical hub
- Maoming
- Refining and petrochemical complex in Guangdong
Field notes · China
More about China that matters for portable equipment
China: rules and approvals
ATEX certificates and Eurasian certificates are not accepted in China, and the applicant for CCC may be a foreign company.
China: rules and approvals
CNCA designated six certification bodies and 13 testing laboratories for Ex products, and an IECEx test report may serve as test evidence but does not replace the CCC certificate.
China: background
The Daqing field in Heilongjiang, discovered in 1959 in the Songhua Jiang-Liao basin, has been the backbone of Chinese oil production for decades, and Shengli began producing in 1968.
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 China. IECEx is the technical basis NEPSI works from, which makes it the common reference between Chinese state operators such as Sinopec, PetroChina, CNOOC and China Energy Investment and the international contractors on petrochemical projects. The reviewer reads the certificate of conformity and the schedule of conditions. None of the three approvals is finished.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx mobile phone for China
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 · China
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an IECEx mobile phone in China 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 IECEx mobile phone in China 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.
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 China does this cover?
The market guide for China covers Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, Daqing, Shengli oilfield, 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 radio and network approvals does a smartphone need in China?
In addition to CCC where applicable, radio devices need SRRC approval and phones connecting to public networks need the MIIT network access licence. The NAL is described as compulsory, valid for three years, with local testing and a local representative. Confirm the current requirements with MIIT or an accredited body.
Do Ex phones need a CCC mark in China?
Products that fall within the explosion-protected electrical category of the CCC catalogue may not be sold, imported or used in business without a CCC certificate and mark, to the GB/T 3836 series. Check with a CNCA-designated body whether a given product falls within that catalogue scope.
Does NEPSI certification mean a Chinese operator will accept the phone?
No: Sinopec, PetroChina and the major coal producers each run their own equipment-approval and procurement process, so a device can be NEPSI-certified and still unlisted. NEPSI and SRRC are being pursued and are not finished. Confirm the listing route with the operator.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on China, and on other places in China.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in ChinaSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor in ChinaSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in ChinaSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Supplier in ChinaSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in ChinaSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in ChinaSame place, different guide
China market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for ChinaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · China
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for China
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · China
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for China?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.