The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, aimed at the solvent suites and powder rooms of the Irish pharmaceutical cluster, and at the refinery, gas terminal and alumina plant that make up the rest. This page explains what to look for in a rugged mobile phone for Ireland, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Ireland: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
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.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ingress protection | IP65 to IP68 sealing | IP68 design |
| Drop and shock | A stated drop height onto concrete | Specification on request |
| Explosion protection | A separate certificate and marking | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Ireland: Ringaskiddy, Whitegate, Little Island and Carrigaline | Classified by the site operator |
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Ireland. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Ireland market guide covers.
Under Directive 1999/92/EC employers must classify areas where explosive atmospheres may occur into zones, with the size and location depending on likelihood and persistence, so every Irish site has its own zoning document.
Corrib consists of subsea wells, offshore and onshore pipelines and an onshore gas processing plant at Bellanaboy, which began producing gas in 2015, a typical Zone 1 and Zone 2 process site.
Irving Oil runs Ireland's only oil refinery, at Whitegate in County Cork.
The Corrib gas field lies about 83 km off the north-west coast of County Mayo and is Ireland's only domestic source of natural gas, so the Mayo coast is the country's main upstream gas location.
A rugged phone is built to survive water, dust, drops and rough handling, usually rated by an IP code and a drop specification. Ruggedness is an environmental property: it says nothing about whether a phone may be used where flammable gas or dust is present. That is decided by explosion-protection certification and marking.
The IS-04Z1 combines both: an IP68 sealed rugged build and a design for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4). The explosion-protection certificates are in progress and none has been issued.
In Ireland. Irish sites are damp and often exposed to Atlantic weather, with salt air at harbour and estuary locations such as Whitegate and the Shannon. IP68 sealing helps with water and dust ingress. It is an ingress rating, not explosion protection, which must come from certification. Powder areas may need cleaning rules.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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.
It is designed to IP68 sealing, with glove-friendly controls. Ruggedness is not explosion protection: that depends on the certificates, which are in progress.
The market guide for Ireland covers Ringaskiddy, Whitegate, Little Island and Carrigaline, Shannon Estuary, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
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.
Atlantic coastal sites are often wet, windy and salt-laden, which stresses seals and charging contacts. Check the water ingress rating, the lowest ambient temperature on the certificate and whether the touchscreen works with wet gloves. Spare batteries are worthwhile for long outdoor shifts.
Ireland is an EU member, so ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU applies to equipment and Directive 1999/92/EC to workplace zoning. Zone 1 and Zone 2 devices should carry CE and Ex markings. Individual plants typically add their own permit-to-work and equipment registration processes.
ATEX is the usual reference in the EU and is applied in Ireland through national regulations. Multinational sites may also ask for IECEx. Ask the operator which evidence it requires, and check the certification status, as the IS-04Z1 certification programme is still in progress.
Related guides for Ireland and for Ireland.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.
