Switzerland: infrastructure
Switzerland relies mainly on hydroelectric power, nuclear power and natural gas, and plans to phase out its five nuclear power plants as they reach the end of their lives, with 2044 given as a phase-out date.
Switzerland · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Smartphone in Switzerland
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for solvent and powder atmospheres, from a production building in Basel or Visp to a loading rack at Cressier and a digester hall at a cantonal wastewater works. If you are specifying an intrinsically safe smartphone for Switzerland, 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
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereSwitzerland
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Switzerland: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe smartphone for Switzerland
| 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 | Switzerland: Basel and Schweizerhalle, Visp, Monthey | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Switzerland
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 Switzerland. 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 · Switzerland
Where this applies in Switzerland
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Switzerland market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Lonza
- Visp is the largest site in its global network, in the upper Valais.
- Novartis
- Basel campus and the production site at Stein in Aargau.
- Roche
- Basel headquarters plus production and logistics at Kaiseraugst.
- Syngenta
- Crop protection production at Monthey and a production site at Kaisten.
- Cilag
- Pharmaceutical production at Schaffhausen, established there since 1936.
- CIMO
- Utilities and site services operator for the Monthey chemical site.
Industrial areas and sites
- Basel and Schweizerhalle
- Chemical and pharmaceutical cluster with the Muttenz tank farms.
- Visp
- Chemical and biotech complex in the upper Valais.
- Monthey
- Chemical site in the Chablais shared by several producers.
- Kaisten and the Fricktal
- Chemical intermediates production along the Rhine.
- Schaffhausen
- Pharmaceutical production close to the German border.
- Cressier
- Refinery and product terminal on the Neuchâtel plain.
Field notes · Switzerland
More about Switzerland that matters for portable equipment
Switzerland: industry on the ground
Basel is Switzerland's main pharmaceutical centre, home to both Novartis and Roche.
Switzerland: infrastructure
Petroleum and motor fuels account for 43% of energy consumed, electricity 26% and gas 15%, with households and transport each using about one third and manufacturing and services each just under one fifth.
Switzerland: industry on the ground
Machinery, chemicals, vehicles and metals are leading industries, so classified areas occur more in chemical and pharmaceutical plants and process industry than in oil and gas.
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 Switzerland. Intrinsic safety suits short, frequent rounds through multi-room pharmaceutical buildings and the depots at Vernier, where a handheld must be wiped between rooms and carried across airlocks. One device rated for both gas and dust removes the swap at the airlock, and a full shift on one charge avoids interruptions.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe smartphone for Switzerland
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 · Switzerland
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an intrinsically safe smartphone in Switzerland 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 smartphone in Switzerland 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 Switzerland does this cover?
The market guide for Switzerland covers Basel and Schweizerhalle, Visp, Monthey, Kaisten and the Fricktal, 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 Swiss industries need intrinsically safe phones?
Chemical and pharmaceutical plants, fuel depots, gas networks, wastewater and biogas plants, and some manufacturing lines. The economy leans on machinery, chemicals, vehicles and metals more than oil and gas. Ask each site for its explosion protection document to see where zones exist.
How does mountain weather affect Ex handheld devices in Switzerland?
Alpine sites can be very cold, with snow and large temperature swings, which reduces battery capacity and affects touchscreen use with gloves. Check the lowest rated ambient temperature on the certificate and the water ingress rating, and carry spare batteries in warm storage.
Which languages does the handset support for Swiss users?
Android 16 carries German and the other working languages used in Switzerland, according to the sheet. Confirm the specific language packs and keyboard layouts you need during an evaluation, particularly for crews who work across language regions.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Switzerland, and on other places in Switzerland.
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in SwitzerlandSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Supplier in SwitzerlandSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in SwitzerlandSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in SwitzerlandSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in SwitzerlandSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in SwitzerlandSame place, different guide
Switzerland market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for SwitzerlandEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Switzerland
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Switzerland
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 · Switzerland
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Switzerland?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.