The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in South Korea every shift: refinery and petrochemical-complex operators at Ulsan and Yeosu, shipyard tank engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. If you are specifying an industrial mobile phone for South Korea, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for South Korea: 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ingress protection | IP rating for dust and water | IP68 design |
| Fleet management | EMM and MDM support | Android 16 with EMM and MDM |
| Explosion protection | A separate certificate and marking | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | South Korea: Yeosu, Daesan, Onsan | Classified by the site operator |
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in South Korea. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS South Korea market guide.
Ulsan is the industrial centre of the south-east, hosting the world's largest car assembly plant, the world's largest shipyard and the world's third-largest oil refinery, which makes it a dense mix of process and manufacturing hazards.
The country has no proven oil reserves; the Donghae-1 gas field produced between 2004 and 2021 and east-coast gas exploration started in 2024, so most hazardous-area work is downstream rather than upstream.
Thermal generation provides more than two thirds of electricity and nuclear power most of the rest; the first plant, Kori near Busan, opened in 1977, so large plant outages involve many contractors.
GS Caltex concentrates its refining and petrochemical plants at the Yeosu Complex, covering about 6 million square metres, with 800,000 barrels per stream day of capacity and Korea's largest heavy oil upgrading unit at 275,000 barrels a day.
“Industrial” describes a phone built for plant conditions: sealed, drop-resistant and manageable at fleet scale through Android Enterprise. It does not by itself mean the phone may enter a classified area. Only a device with a valid explosion-protection certificate and marking may do that.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to be both an industrial Android phone (IP68, 4,000 mAh battery, 50 MP camera, Android 16 with EMM and MDM support) and an intrinsically safe one. Its explosion-protection certificates are in progress and have not been issued.
In South Korea. Korean operations run predominantly in Korean, with English for international contractors and documentation, and Android 16 carries both on one build. EMM and MDM support lets the device be managed like the rest of the fleet, which matters with heavy contractor traffic at Ulsan. Charging stays in safe areas.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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.
Yes by design: IP68 sealing, a 4,000 mAh battery, a 50 MP camera and Android 16 with EMM and MDM support. The explosion-protection certificates are separate and still in progress.
The market guide for South Korea covers Ulsan, Yeosu, Daesan, Onsan, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
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.
Ulsan is the best-known, with a very large refinery, petrochemical works and shipyard, and the country's LNG import terminals are another cluster. Because supply is almost entirely imported, fuel storage and terminal sites are central; confirm each site's classification with its operator.
Operators may ask for Korea's own national certification alongside, or instead of, international certificates such as IECEx or ATEX. Requirements differ by site and contractor, so ask the operator's safety team which marking and approvals it accepts before ordering devices.
The same Zone 1 specification is designed to cover tank-entry and marine-fuel hazards alongside refinery risk. Certification is in progress and no certificate exists. Confirm the exact area, gas group and permit rules with the yard's safety officer before any use.
Related guides for South Korea and for South Korea.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.
