Shipbuilding
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries builds tankers, LNG carriers and FPSOs at Ulsan and merged with HD Hyundai Mipo in 2025.
Ulsan · IECEx
IECEx Smartphone in Ulsan
Ulsan is the corporate base of the Hyundai group, and SK Energy and S-Oil also operate there, so supplier registration usually runs through each company's own vendor process. Process plants, tank farms and shipyard work create extensive Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas. This page explains what to look for in an IECEx smartphone for Ulsan, 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
WhereUlsan
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Ulsan: 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 smartphone for Ulsan
| 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 | Ulsan: Refinery process units, Petrochemical plants, Tank farms | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Ulsan
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 Ulsan. 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 site · Ulsan
Ulsan: where the IS-04Z1 would work
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
Operators and companies on site
- SK Energy
- S-Oil
- HD Hyundai Heavy Industries
Classified areas to expect
- Refinery process units
- Petrochemical plants
- Tank farms
- Shipyard tank and cargo-space work
Local conditions · Ulsan
What Ulsan means for portable equipment
Refining
SK Energy and S-Oil operate refineries in Ulsan; S-Oil's Onsan refinery had about 650,000 barrels per day in 2016.
Field notes · Ulsan
More about Ulsan that matters for portable equipment
Ulsan: industry on the ground
Ulsan is described as South Korea's industrial powerhouse, hosting the world's largest automobile assembly plant, the world's largest shipyard and the world's third-largest oil refinery, which is owned by SK Energy.
Ulsan: people and language
Ulsan has more than 1.1 million residents and the highest GDP per capita of any region in South Korea, at about 65,352 dollars in 2020, with a deep pool of industrial technicians.
Ulsan: industry on the ground
The SK Energy refinery has a capacity of 840,000 barrels a day, and a slightly smaller 669,000 barrel a day S-Oil refinery is also in the city, so two very large refineries operate side by side.
Ulsan: climate and equipment wear
Ulsan has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, with monthly means from 2.0 degrees Celsius in January to 25.9 degrees in August and high rainfall from April to September.
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 Ulsan. Ulsan's shipyard builds tankers, LNG carriers and FPSOs for international owners, and refineries and petrochemical projects use overseas contractors. IECEx gives them one certificate of conformity and a schedule of conditions to read. The IS-04Z1 has neither yet, because certification is in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx smartphone for Ulsan
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 · Ulsan
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an IECEx smartphone in Ulsan 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 smartphone in Ulsan 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 areas at Ulsan would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units, petrochemical plants, tank farms, shipyard tank and cargo-space work. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
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 the Ulsan climate hard on handheld equipment?
Summers are hot and humid with heavy rain from April to September, and winters are cold but dry, with a January mean around 2 degrees. Typically users want good ingress protection, battery performance in cold weather, and cleaning routines in coastal air.
Why does hydrogen matter for equipment choice in Ulsan?
Hydrogen is in a more demanding gas group than most hydrocarbons, and Ulsan has 188 km of hydrogen pipelines and a green-hydrogen town project. Where hydrogen is present, operators typically specify the gas group, so check what the site requires before selecting devices.
Who usually buys equipment for Ulsan plants?
Purchasing is normally handled by the operator or its maintenance contractors, and permits follow the operator's own rules. SAMS has appointed no distributor. Ask the operator whether contractors may bring their own devices, and confirm with the site operator.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Ulsan and for South Korea.
Rugged Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor in UlsanSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in UlsanSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in DaesanElsewhere in South Korea
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in PohangElsewhere in South Korea
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in BusanElsewhere in South Korea
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in YeosuElsewhere in South Korea
South Korea market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for South KoreaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Ulsan
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Ulsan, South Korea
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 · Ulsan
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Ulsan?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.