Japan: rules and approvals
Radio equipment falls under the Telec technical conformity scheme of the communications ministry, and a certified-products database can be searched to check a model.
Japan · IECEx
IECEx Smartphone in Japan
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in Japan every shift: refinery and petrochemical-complex operators, LNG terminal crews, inspection engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. This page explains what to look for in an IECEx smartphone for Japan, 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
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereJapan
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Japan: 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. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx smartphone for Japan
| 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 | Japan: Mizushima, Chiba / Sodegaura, Yokkaichi | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Japan
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 Japan. 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 · Japan
Hazardous-area industry in Japan
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Japan market guide covers.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- ENEOS
- Japan’s largest oil refiner and petroleum products company
- Idemitsu Kosan
- Major refiner and petrochemical producer
- Cosmo Oil
- Refining and petrochemical operations nationwide
- JAPEX
- Japan Petroleum Exploration — domestic upstream production
- Mitsubishi Chemical
- Major petrochemical producer with complexes including Kashima
- JERA
- Japan’s largest power generator, with major LNG and thermal assets
Industrial areas and sites
- Kashima
- Large integrated petrochemical complex in Ibaraki
- Mizushima
- Major refining and petrochemical complex in Okayama
- Chiba / Sodegaura
- Petrochemical and refining complex on Tokyo Bay
- Yokkaichi
- One of Japan’s oldest and largest petrochemical complexes, Mie prefecture
- Sakai
- Refining and petrochemical operations near Osaka
Field notes · Japan
More about Japan that matters for portable equipment
Japan: infrastructure
Small rivers, including the Edo River, supply water to the Keiyo industrial region, and the Port of Chiba serves the zone.
Japan: rules and approvals
Explosion-protected electrical equipment must pass type examination, called kentei, under Article 44-2 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, and equipment without the pass mark may not be used.
Japan: rules and approvals
The type examination involves a sample for structural inspection, with no factory audit in law, and the applicant can be a Japanese or foreign manufacturer or an importer.
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 Japan. Japan's large complexes at Kashima, Mizushima and Yokkaichi work with global suppliers and contractors who know the IECEx scheme. A certificate of conformity names the equipment, and its schedule of conditions sets the conditions of use. IECEx certification for the IS-04Z1 is in progress, with TIIS also in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx smartphone for Japan
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 · Japan
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an IECEx smartphone in Japan 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 smartphone in Japan cost?
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined 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 Japan does this cover?
The market guide for Japan covers Kashima, Mizushima, Chiba / Sodegaura, Yokkaichi, 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 Japanese type examination required for Ex phones?
Explosion-protected electrical equipment must pass type examination under Article 44-2 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, and equipment without the pass mark may not be used. Registered examination bodies, including some outside Japan, carry it out. Check the current process with one of them.
Where do hazardous-area sites sit in Japan?
Typically in coastal industrial zones such as the Keiyo zone along Tokyo Bay, which has refineries and chemical plants, and similar bayside complexes elsewhere. The operator issues the area classification, so request the zone drawing, gas group and temperature class before selecting equipment.
Is TIIS required for use in Japan?
The market guide lists TIIS and IECEx as in progress and neither has been granted. Whether a given site needs TIIS depends on the operator and the regulations it follows. Ask the site operator and check the current certification status before ordering.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Japan, and on other places in Japan.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor in JapanSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
Japan market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for JapanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Japan
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Japan
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 · Japan
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Japan?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.