New Zealand: background
The Alpha well drilled at New Plymouth in 1865 was the first oil well in the Commonwealth; later gas from Kapuni (1970) and Maui (1978) supported large gas-based industrial plants.
New Zealand · industrial
Industrial Smartphone Distributor in New Zealand
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in New Zealand every shift: Taranaki gas-field operators, methanol and fertiliser plant crews, dairy-processing engineers managing milk-powder dust risk, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. The Marsden Point refinery operated from 1964 to 2022 and the site now imports refined fuel, about half from South Korea and about a third from Singapore as of 2025, so tank and terminal work continues there. An industrial smartphone distributor in New Zealand would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
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 topicindustrial
DeviceSmartphone
RouteDistribution
WhereNew Zealand
Short answer. New Zealand 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.
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.
At a glance · industrial
Checklist: industrial smartphone for New Zealand
| 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 | New Zealand: Marsden Point, Dairy processing sites nationwide, Taranaki | Classified by the site operator |
Product · New Zealand
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 New Zealand. 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 · New Zealand
Where this applies in New Zealand
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS New Zealand market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Methanex
- Methanol production at Motunui, Taranaki; the Waitara Valley plant has been idle since 2021
- Todd Energy
- Upstream gas and condensate production in the Taranaki basin
- OMV New Zealand
- Operator of Maui, Pohokura and other Taranaki offshore and onshore fields
- Ballance Agri-Nutrients
- Urea and ammonia production at Kapuni, Taranaki
- Fonterra
- The world’s largest dairy exporter — milk-powder drying and processing nationwide
- Channel Infrastructure
- Operator of the former Marsden Point refinery, now a fuel import terminal
Industrial areas and sites
- Taranaki
- New Zealand’s principal oil, gas and petrochemical region
- Motunui / Waitara Valley
- Methanex methanol production complexes
- Kapuni
- Gas field and Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser plant
- Marsden Point
- Former refinery, now Channel Infrastructure’s import terminal, Northland
- Dairy processing sites nationwide
- Fonterra and other processors’ milk-powder drying towers and storage
Field notes · New Zealand
More about New Zealand that matters for portable equipment
New Zealand: infrastructure
Ahuroa Gas Storage Facility is the country's only underground gas storage site, so compressor, wellhead and storage-related classified areas are concentrated in a small number of places.
New Zealand: infrastructure
About 2,600 km of high-pressure gas transmission pipeline runs in the North Island, led by the 307 km Maui pipeline carrying 78% of production; there is no gas transmission in the South Island.
New Zealand: geography and layout
All domestic oil and gas comes from 21 petroleum permits in the Taranaki basin, with Kapuni, Maui, Pohokura and Kupe the most important fields, which concentrates upstream work on the west coast of the North Island.
The term · industrial
What “industrial” means for a smartphone
“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 New Zealand. Energy and food operators here run managed fleets, and contractors may work across both sectors. Android 16 with EMM and MDM pushes the corporate profile and camera policy centrally, which suits dairy sites with strict hygiene rules. Charging should be done in a safe area, since the 4,000 mAh battery is meant to last a shift.
The route · distribution
Distributing the IS-04Z1 in New Zealand
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for New Zealand yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
What SAMS looks for in a partner
- Operator relationships
- Existing supplier registrations or a clear route to them with the main operators and contractors in New Zealand.
- Ex-competent staff
- People who understand zone classification, markings and the conditions of a certificate.
And equally important
- Local-language support
- Documentation, training and helpdesk in the languages the workforce uses.
- Service capability
- Spares, battery replacement and repair routed through SAMS-approved channels.
Questions · New Zealand
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an industrial smartphone in New Zealand 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 industrial smartphone in New Zealand 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.
Is the IS-04Z1 an industrial phone as well as an Ex phone?
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.
Which sites in New Zealand does this cover?
The market guide for New Zealand covers Taranaki, Motunui / Waitara Valley, Kapuni, Marsden Point, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How do I become a SAMS distributor for New Zealand?
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 New Zealand.
Is New Zealand's remote geography a supply issue for Ex devices?
Most Ex devices arrive by sea or air freight, and the North Island holds nearly all the gas network, so lead times to Taranaki or Auckland differ from the South Island. Plan spare batteries and accessories in country, and confirm local after-sales support before ordering.
Where do intrinsically safe phones get used in New Zealand's oil and gas sector?
Mainly in Taranaki, where all domestic oil and gas is produced, along the North Island gas pipeline network, at Ahuroa gas storage, and at fuel import terminals such as Marsden Point. Site permits and induction rules differ by operator, so check before arrival.
Is milk powder really a hazardous area issue?
Dried milk powder is a well-documented combustible dust, and drying towers and storage silos are classified accordingly. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 21 as well as Zone 1, but certification is in progress. Confirm the zone and dust group with the site operator before use.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on New Zealand, and on other places in New Zealand.
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in New ZealandSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in New ZealandSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Supplier in New ZealandSame place, different guide
New Zealand market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for New ZealandEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · New Zealand
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for New Zealand
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 · New Zealand
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for New Zealand?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.