Underground access
Equipment taken underground generally has to suit the mine's hazard classification and may need approval by the mine's own electrical or safety department.
A regional grouping rather than one site: Canada is a major producer of nickel, copper, potash and uranium, and the Sudbury Basin in Ontario is one of the world's largest nickel and copper ore suppliers. Canada was the world's largest potash producer in 2019 and a top-ten producer of gold, nickel, platinum, iron ore, titanium, niobium, sulphur, molybdenum and cobalt. An industrial smartphone distributor in Canadian mining regions would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Canadian mining regions has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. 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 | Canadian mining regions: Fuel storage, Explosives storage, Underground mine workings | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Canada Mining Operations. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Equipment taken underground generally has to suit the mine's hazard classification and may need approval by the mine's own electrical or safety department.
Winters in much of mining Canada are cold enough that battery performance, glove use on touchscreens and condensation are practical concerns.
Mining contributed about 7.9 percent of Canada's GDP in 2021, roughly 156.5 billion Canadian dollars, split across extraction, services and manufacturing.
Industrial-scale mining began in the 18th century, with an iron mine at Forges du Saint-Maurice (1738 to 1883) and copper at Bruce Mines, Ontario from 1848, so many sites are old and complex.
Federal coal mining regulations (SOR/90-97) require a qualified person to measure air quantity, flammable gas and carbon monoxide on any roadway where a diesel engine runs, at least once every seven days.
Where flammable gas exceeds 0.8 percent near electrical equipment or diesel engines the area must be tested at least every eight hours, and a methanometer alarm is required at longwall faces where gas may reach 1.25 percent.
“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 Canadian mining regions. Mine fleets include contractors, maintenance crews and visiting specialists, so MDM or EMM enrolment helps keep devices consistent. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Android 16 management. Connectivity underground differs from surface plants, and charging would take place in safe surface areas, not in the workings.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Canadian mining regions. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
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.
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.
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.
Likely candidates are underground mine workings, ore processing plants, fuel storage, explosives storage. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Canadian mining regions.
Only if certified for the relevant area and permitted by the mine's rules; the federal regulations focus on gas detection, electrical equipment and ventilation, and each mine adds its own policy. Confirm with the mine manager and ask for the approved device list.
Cold winters, remote locations and long supply routes are typical, so batteries, spares and servicing need planning. Ask the mine about winter handling guidance and the temperature class they require for classified areas.
Not automatically. The IS-04Z1 target marking, II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, is a gas-atmosphere marking. Underground equipment generally has to suit the mine's hazard classification and may need approval by the mine's own electrical or safety department. Ask the individual operator what it accepts before assuming suitability.
More on Canada Mining Operations, and on other places in Canada.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.