Mexico: rules and approvals
Mexico has two approval schemes, telecom homologation and NOM certification, and neither is mandatory for every product; which applies depends on what is being sold.
Mexico · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Cell Phone in Mexico
The IS-04Z1 is an Ex mobile phone for people working inside classified areas at Mexican refineries, offshore platforms, petrochemical plants and fuel terminals. If you are specifying an intrinsically safe cell phone for Mexico, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status 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
RouteSpecification
WhereMexico
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Mexico: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
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.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe cell phone for Mexico
| 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 | Mexico: Dos Bocas, Tabasco, Bay of Campeche, Ciudad del Carmen | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Mexico
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 Mexico. 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 · Mexico
Where an Ex phone is used in Mexico
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS Mexico market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Pemex
- The national refining system, Campeche production, pipelines and terminals
- CFE
- Power stations and their fuel handling and storage areas
- Braskem Idesa
- The Etileno XXI polyethylene complex in southern Veracruz
- Alpek and Indelpro
- Polyester and polypropylene production on the Gulf coast
- Cydsa
- Chemicals and underground hydrocarbon storage in Veracruz
- Vopak
- Chemical and petrochemical tank terminals at Altamira and Coatzacoalcos
Industrial areas and sites
- Dos Bocas, Tabasco
- The Olmeca refinery, still ramping up through 2026
- Bay of Campeche
- Ku-Maloob-Zaap, Cantarell and the Ayatsil development
- Ciudad del Carmen
- The onshore base supporting the offshore fleet
- Coatzacoalcos and Minatitlán
- Refining and petrochemicals along the Isthmus corridor
- Altamira, Tamaulipas
- The leading port for petrochemical fluids in Mexico
- Tula, Hidalgo
- Refining and power generation on the central plateau
Field notes · Mexico
More about Mexico that matters for portable equipment
Mexico: industry on the ground
Oil was first refined into kerosene around 1876 near Tampico, and Pemex's Tula refinery in Hidalgo is among its major inland refining sites.
Mexico: rules and approvals
NOM certificates of conformity, issued by bodies such as NYCE and ANCE, allow customs clearance into Mexico, and the Secretaria de Economia oversees NOM enforcement.
Mexico: industry on the ground
The offshore Cantarell field was discovered in 1976, started production in 1979 and peaked in 2004, so ageing offshore infrastructure is a feature of Mexican upstream work.
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 Mexico. Rounds on a Campeche platform, a Salina Cruz refinery unit or a Coatzacoalcos tank farm are short, repeated and often wet. An intrinsically safe handheld lets an inspector log readings and photograph a flange without hot-work style permits. Offshore rotations by helicopter or boat also favour a compact device that is not left on deck.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe cell phone for Mexico
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · Mexico
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an intrinsically safe cell phone in Mexico today?
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.
What does an intrinsically safe cell phone in Mexico cost?
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.
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 Mexico does this cover?
The market guide for Mexico covers Dos Bocas, Tabasco, Bay of Campeche, Ciudad del Carmen, Coatzacoalcos and Minatitlán, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
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.
Which Mexican body approves telecom equipment now?
Following the 2025 changes, the Comision Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones within the Agencia de Transformacion Digital y Telecomunicaciones issues Certificates of Homologation, replacing the IFT. Check the current procedures with the CRT or an accredited body, as supplier documents may still cite IFT.
What conditions should devices handle on the Gulf of Mexico coast?
Gulf coast and offshore sites typically combine heat, high humidity, salt air and seasonal storms, so check ingress protection, corrosion resistance and operating temperature range. Confirm platform transfer rules, such as helicopter battery restrictions, with the operator before deployment.
Does the IS-04Z1 need homologación in Mexico?
Radio equipment needs homologación separately from hazardous area approval, and that step is in progress alongside the explosion protection programme. No approval has been granted yet. Check with the site and your telecoms team which documents they will require before any device is enrolled.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Mexico and for Mexico.
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in MexicoSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in MexicoSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in MexicoSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Supplier in MexicoSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Supplier in MexicoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in MexicoSame place, different guide
Mexico market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for MexicoEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Mexico
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Mexico
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · Mexico
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Mexico?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.