China: rules and approvals
CNCA designated six certification bodies and 13 testing laboratories for Ex products, and an IECEx test report may serve as test evidence but does not replace the CCC certificate.
China · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Cell Phone Distributor in China
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in China every shift: oilfield and refinery operators, coal-mining safety officers, petrochemical engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. GB 3836.15-2024 on design, selection and erection and GB 3836.16-2024 on inspection and maintenance took effect as mandatory national standards on 1 August 2025, governing installations rather than product certification. Distribution partners for China are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
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 topicintrinsically safe
DeviceCell Phone
RouteDistribution
WhereChina
Short answer. China 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.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe cell phone for China
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | ia, ib or ic matched to the zone | ib, for Zone 1 |
| Entity parameters | Uo, Io and Po within the device limits | Published with the certificate |
| Accessories | Chargers and cases certified with the device | Defined at certification |
| Where it applies | China: Daqing, Shengli oilfield, Zhoushan / Ningbo | Classified by the site operator |
Product · China
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 China. 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 · China
Where an Ex phone is used in China
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS China market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Sinopec
- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation — refining, petrochemicals and retail nationwide
- PetroChina (CNPC)
- Upstream oil and gas production and refining
- China Energy Investment Corporation
- The world’s largest coal producer, formed from Shenhua and Guodian
- CNOOC
- Offshore oil and gas production
- Yanzhou Coal / Yankuang
- Major coal mining group in Shandong and beyond
- Daqing Oilfield
- One of China’s largest and oldest producing oilfields
Industrial areas and sites
- Shanxi
- China’s largest coal-producing province
- Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia
- Major coal mining and coal-chemical regions
- Daqing
- Heilongjiang oilfield, one of the largest in China
- Shengli oilfield
- Major producing field in Shandong
- Zhoushan / Ningbo
- Large-scale coastal refining and petrochemical hub
- Maoming
- Refining and petrochemical complex in Guangdong
Field notes · China
More about China that matters for portable equipment
China: background
The Daqing field in Heilongjiang, discovered in 1959 in the Songhua Jiang-Liao basin, has been the backbone of Chinese oil production for decades, and Shengli began producing in 1968.
China: geography and layout
China's land-based oil resources are mostly in the north, with large fields at Daqing, Shengli, Liaohe, Karamay and Dagang, so cold-climate and arid-climate sites are both common.
China: rules and approvals
The current implementing rule is CNCA-C23-01:2024, in force since 1 May 2024, and certification has been to the 2021 editions of GB/T 3836 since 1 May 2022.
The term · intrinsically safe
What “intrinsically safe” means for a smartphone
Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in a circuit so that neither a spark nor a hot surface can ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even when a fault occurs. The ib level, used for Zone 1, tolerates one fault. It is the usual way to make a handheld device that a worker carries continuously through a hazardous area.
The IS-04Z1 is designed on this principle for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4). Intrinsic safety is a design basis, not a certificate: certification is in progress and none has been issued yet.
In China. A coal-mining shift or a petrochemical-plant round at Maoming or Zhoushan covers real distance with no recharging point inside a classified area. An intrinsically safe handheld is designed for those rounds, with a 4,000 mAh cell specified for a full shift, so inspections are not interrupted by the walk to a charger.
The route · distribution
Distributing the IS-04Z1 in China
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for China. 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.
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 China.
- 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 · China
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an intrinsically safe cell phone in China 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 intrinsically safe cell phone in China 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.
What does ‘intrinsically safe’ mean for the IS-04Z1?
The circuits are designed to limit energy so a spark or hot surface cannot ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even with one fault (level ib, Zone 1). Certification of that design is in progress.
Which sites in China does this cover?
The market guide for China covers Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, Daqing, Shengli oilfield, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How do I become a SAMS distributor for China?
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 China.
What climate range should devices handle in northern Chinese oilfields?
Fields such as Daqing in the north-east have cold winters, while Karamay and other north-western fields are arid, so a wide operating temperature range and dust ingress protection are sensible. Confirm site limits with the operator before deployment.
Can IECEx or ATEX certificates be used in China?
An IECEx test report is reported as recognised as test evidence, but it does not replace the CCC certificate, and ATEX certificates are not accepted. Plan a separate CCC programme with a designated body, using the IECEx test work to reduce duplication where permitted.
Is the phone suitable for underground coal mines?
The design covers Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust together, matching the combined methane and coal dust exposure, but certification is in progress and no certificate exists. Underground mining is a distinct classification regime, so a mine operator would need to confirm suitability. Check requirements with the mine safety authority.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for China, other places in China, and the pages behind them.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in ChinaSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor in ChinaSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Distributor in ChinaSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in ChinaSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in ChinaSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in ChinaSame place, different guide
China market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for ChinaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · China
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for China
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · China
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for China?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.