Coal and methane in the same environment
Underground coal mining combines explosive methane gas with combustible coal dust in one working environment. The device is designed for Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust together, matching that combined exposure.
China · Zone 1 / Zone 21 · gas and dust
Explosion proof mobile phone for China, Zone 1 and Zone 21
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. It is pre-launch, so what you can have today is the datasheet, the certification schedule and an evaluation unit.
Launching Q4 2026 · IECEx and NEPSI programme in progress
Local approvalNEPSI · IECExIECEx · NEPSI in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
China
NEPSI · IECEx
IECEx
ATEX 2014/34/EU
NEC 500 Class I Div 1IP68Zone 1 / Zone 21
Android 16
Qualcomm Snapdragon
NEPSI · IECExIECExATEX 2014/34/EUNEC 500 Class I Div 1IP68Zone 1 / Zone 21Android 16Qualcomm SnapdragonWhere it works · China
Where a flameproof handset is needed in China
China’s classified-area work spans coal mines across the northern coal belt, oil and gas fields inland, and a dense petrochemical corridor along the eastern coast.
Operators and contractors such as Sinopec, PetroChina (CNPC) and China Energy Investment Corporation need an explosion proof mobile phone they can carry into classified areas at Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia and Daqing. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 duty there.
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
Built for local conditions
Built for Chinese conditions
China’s scale means classified-area conditions range from underground coal seams to coastal petrochemical plants. These are the points a Chinese evaluator presses on, and how the design answers them.
For evaluators in China, the IS-04Z1 explosion proof mobile phone is designed around these points: Coal and methane in the same environment; Extreme climate range; A battery for long underground and plant shifts; Mandarin and English on one build; Managed centrally across a huge estate.
IP ratingIP68
Battery4,000 mAh
Camera50 MP
OSAndroid 16
Extreme climate range
From the cold, dry north to the humid, subtropical south, China’s industrial sites cover almost the full climate range. rugged build is specified for that spread rather than one regional extreme.
A battery for long underground and plant shifts
A coal-mining shift or a large petrochemical-plant round covers real distance with no recharging point inside a classified area. The 4,000 mAh cell is specified for a full shift.
Mandarin and English on one build
Operations run with local technical staff and, on many petrochemical projects, international contractors. Android 16 carries both interface languages on the same handset.
Managed centrally across a huge estate
EMM and MDM enrolment is built to let a large state operator manage a fleet numbering in the thousands from one console.
Approvals in China
Certification programme ahead of Q4 2026 launch.
IECEx certification is the technical basis China’s National Supervision and Inspection Centre for Explosion Protection and Safety of Instrumentation (NEPSI) works from. NEPSI Ex certification is being pursued alongside launch.
In progress
NEPSI · IECEx
National conformity for ChinaIECEx · NEPSI in progressIn progress
IECEx
International Electrotechnical CommissionZone 1 · Zone 21 · Gas · DustIn progress
ATEX
EU Directive 2014/34/EUII 2 G Ex ib IIC T4In progress
NEC 500
National Electrical CodeClass I Div 1 · North AmericaRegulatory route · China
What your HSE and procurement teams will ask for.
Conformity in China runs through the National Supervision and Inspection Centre for Explosion Protection and Safety of Instrumentation (NEPSI), the country’s Ex certification authority. For hazardous-area equipment the technical evidence behind that certification is typically aligned with an IECEx Certificate of Conformity, and because this product is a phone it also needs SRRC (State Radio Regulatory Committee) type approval, now administered under MIIT. None of the three is finished yet.
Getting past the mine or plant gate is a separate exercise. Sinopec, PetroChina and China’s major coal producers each run their own equipment-approval and procurement process, and supply is normally expected to run through a China-registered partner. A device can be fully NEPSI-certified and still be unlisted on an operator’s own approved-equipment register, so plan for two timelines rather than one.
Use cases · China
Where the IS-04Z1 explosion proof mobile phone goes to work.
Coal mining01
Underground and surface coal operations
A coal-mining safety officer needs a device rated for both methane gas and coal dust, the two hazards that define an underground working face. One Ex ib IIC T4 / Zone 21 specification is designed to cover both without a second device.
Upstream oil and gas02
Field operations at Daqing and Shengli
Wellhead and gathering operations across China’s major oilfields sit inside Zone 1 gas atmospheres. Four-constellation GNSS and a rugged build suit continuous field rounds across large producing areas.
Petrochemical03
Turnaround work on the eastern coast
A refinery or petrochemical turnaround at Zhoushan, Ningbo or Maoming multiplies contractor traffic and permit volume into a short window. One enrolled handset carrying the permit app and the camera cuts what every crew signs out.
How to buy · China
How to evaluate and buy in China
The IS-04Z1 launches in Q4 2026. None of these steps needs a purchase order, and they are ordered so that your approvals and our certification run in parallel.
- 01
Send us the area classification
Give us the zone, gas or dust group and temperature class for the areas a device would enter, plus the operator whose approval you work under. That is enough for us to say plainly where certification stands against your requirement.
- 02
Take the datasheet and the certificate schedule
You receive the full specification and a written list of the certifications in progress with target dates. An HSE officer can start an equipment selection justification with it, and procurement can open a vendor file.
- 03
Join the evaluation programme
Evaluation units will be offered to Chinese operators and contractors for handling and MDM trials in safe areas, moving to classified-area pilots once the certificate exists.
- 04
Supply through a China-registered partner
Procurement processes at Sinopec, PetroChina and major coal operators favour a locally registered supplier who can hold the NEPSI documentation. Evaluation quantities can be supplied directly while that channel is appointed.
Questions · China
Frequently asked questions
Asking about a site in China?
Send your site, zone and gas group, and we will answer for your plant rather than in general.
Ask about China →Can we buy an explosion proof mobile phone from SAMS in China today?
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and every certification behind it, including IECEx, ATEX and the NEPSI route, is still in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. What exists today is the datasheet, the certification schedule and a place in the evaluation programme.
Does it cover coal-mining hazards specifically?
The device is designed for Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust together, which is the combined methane-and-coal-dust profile of an underground coal working environment. Coal-sector-specific approvals in addition to NEPSI may apply and will be confirmed with the certificate.
What is the price of an explosion proof phone in China?
We do not publish one. Until certification completes there is no list price, and pre-launch pricing is available on request against a stated quantity and site.
Will Sinopec or PetroChina accept it on site?
That decision belongs to each operator and follows the certificates rather than preceding them. NEPSI certification and the underlying IECEx evidence are what their engineering review is built on.
Does it work in Mandarin?
Yes. Android 16 runs the interface in Mandarin or English on the same handset and the user manual will be issued in both.
Enquiry · China
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for China
Tell us the site, the zone and gas group, and roughly how many handsets. The SAMS team replies by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule for China. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and certification is in progress, so there is no list price yet; indicative pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Enquiry · China
Distribution · China
Looking for partners across China.
SAMS is appointing Chinese safety and instrumentation distributors who already hold Sinopec, PetroChina or major coal-operator vendor numbers. Tell us which operators you are registered with and which tenders you bid.
- Regional office
- Partner to be appointed
- Languages
- Mandarin · English
- info@sams-mobile.com
- Registered
- United Kingdom
Industries and operators · China
Industries and operators we cover.
Go deeper with the IS-04Z1: explosion proof phone for Coal Mining; explosion proof phone for Oil & Gas; explosion proof phone for Petrochemical; explosion proof phone for China Energy Investment Corporation; explosion proof phone for CNOOC; explosion proof phone for Daqing Oilfield; explosion proof phone for PetroChina; explosion proof phone for Sinopec.
Find your route
Ex phone guides for China
Buyers look for the IS-04Z1 in China in different ways. Each guide below answers one buyer search honestly: what the term means, the route to buy, and where certification stands today.
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