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 Supplier 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. Buyers searching for an IECEx smartphone supplier for Japan can take the datasheet and the certification schedule for the IS-04Z1 now; supply follows certification.
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
RouteSupply
WhereJapan
Short answer. An IECEx smartphone for Japan cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. 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: Kashima, Mizushima, Chiba / Sodegaura | 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
Where this applies in Japan
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Japan market guide.
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 · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for Japan
Nothing can be bought for Japan today: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, and SAMS will supply end users through authorised distributors once certificates exist. What a buyer can do now is take the specification, ask for the written certification schedule and arrange a safe-area evaluation, so that the right local channel contacts you at launch.
- 01
Request the datasheet
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
- 02
Ask for the certification schedule
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
- 03
Evaluate in a safe area
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
- 04
Register for launch
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
Questions · Japan
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an IECEx smartphone in Japan today?
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
What does an IECEx smartphone in Japan 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 Japan does this cover?
The market guide for Japan covers Kashima, Mizushima, Chiba / Sodegaura, Yokkaichi, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How will SAMS supply Japan?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
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
Related guides for Japan and for Japan.
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in JapanSame place, different guide
Industrial 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
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 · Japan
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Japan?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.