Best tablets for mining in 2026

The ranking

Our picks for mining

1. 

   1 Best overall for mining

   i.safe MOBILE IS940.1

   i.safe MOBILE · Dedicated Ex tablet

   Certified for

   Zone 1/21

   Marking

   II 2G Ex ib IIC T4 Gb

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 1

   Operating system

   Android 14

   Security updates

   Until Q4 2032

   Weight

   1059 g

   The i.safe MOBILE IS940.1 heads our mining list because one model range covers both the face and the plant. Its IS940.M1 mining version is certified for Group I under ATEX (marking I M1 Ex ia I Ma, certificate EPS 25 ATEX 1 003 X) and IECEx (Ex ia I Ma, IECEx EPS 25.0003X). Category M1 means the tablet may stay powered when firedamp is present, so a crew does not have to switch it off to keep it compliant. Above ground, the standard IS940.1 is intrinsically safe to Ex ib IIC T4 for Zone 1/21 with dust group IIIC, under ATEX and IECEx, with Class I Division 1 (Groups A to D) and Class II Division 1 (Groups E to G) listings for North America, so one tablet range serves the shaft and the processing plant.

   It is a 10.1-inch Android 14 tablet with a 50 MP camera for photographing equipment and faults, 5G and Wi-Fi 6, NFC and a freely programmable red key that can be set to SOS or a lone-worker app. It is IP68 and MIL-STD-810H, usable with gloves, and i.safe states security updates until Q4 2032. The standard IS940.1 may be charged in the hazardous area, within a charging temperature of 0 °C to +45 °C, and its IECEx certificate also covers the IS-DS940.1 docking station that i.safe lists for charging there.

   Plan around the limits. The M1 version is a separate certificate, and our data does not give its charging conditions, ambient range or ingress rating, so confirm them with i.safe. The standard model is T4, which suits most gases but not those that ignite below 135 °C, it is not certified for Zone 0, and it weighs 1,059 g. Our data lists no national mining approvals for the M1 version beyond the ATEX and IECEx certificates named, so check what your mine regulator requires.

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2. 

   2 Best Windows tablet for mining

   i.safe MOBILE IS945.1

   i.safe MOBILE · Dedicated Ex tablet

   Certified for

   Zone 1/21

   Marking

   II 2G Ex ib IIC T4 Gb

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 1

   Operating system

   Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC for Arm64

   Security updates

   Until October 2034 (unconfirmed)

   Weight

   1059 g

   If your control-room and maintenance software runs on Windows, the i.safe MOBILE IS945.1 is the Group I tablet for it. Its IS945.M1 version carries the same M1 marking as the IS940.M1 (I M1 Ex ia I Ma) under the same certificates, and the standard IS945.1 shares the IS940.1’s Zone 1/21 certificate at IIC T4 with dust group IIIC and Class I Division 1. It runs Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC, can be charged in the hazardous area like the IS940.1, is IP68, and has a red key that can be assigned to a lone-worker app.

   The catch is the processor: it is Arm (Qualcomm QCM6490), so Windows apps written for x86 run through emulation. Test any SCADA, mine-planning or maintenance client you depend on before you buy a fleet.

   Its other limits are a 12 MP camera against the IS940.1’s 50 MP, 8 GB of memory and 1,059 g. The October 2034 security-update date in our data is Microsoft’s end date for Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024; i.safe does not state the edition year, so we treat the date as unconfirmed and it does not decide the order. As with the IS940.1, the M1 version’s own certificate is the one to read for charging and ambient conditions.

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3. 

   3 Lightest Group I tablet for mining

   i.safe MOBILE IS930.1

   i.safe MOBILE · Dedicated Ex tablet

   Certified for

   Zone 1/21

   Marking

   II 2G Ex ib IIC T4 Gb

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx + UKEX, Class I Division 1

   Operating system

   Android 14

   Security updates

   Until Q1 2027

   Weight

   890 g

   For crews who carry a tablet all shift, the i.safe MOBILE IS930.1 is the lightest Group I option: the standard IS930.1 weighs 890 g, against 1,059 g for the IS940.1 and IS945.1, and has an 8-inch display. Its IS930.M1 version is certified for Group I with the marking I M1 Ex ia I Ma, so it too may stay powered in firedamp. The standard model is intrinsically safe to Ex ib IIC T4 for Zone 1/21 with dust group IIIC, under ATEX, IECEx and UKEX, with a Class I Division 1 listing, and it is the only one of the five with a UKEX certificate. It has a dedicated red SOS key, two programmable keys, a 13 MP camera, and an ambient range up to +60 °C, the highest of the five.

   The limit to state plainly: i.safe’s security updates for the IS930.1 end in Q1 2027, which is only months away, so a tablet bought now gets a short update life and suits an existing fleet or a short project better than a new rollout.

   It also trades away features. It has a Snapdragon SDM660 with 4 GB of memory, 4G LTE (no 5G) and Wi-Fi 5, the battery is not user-replaceable, and the standard model cannot be charged in the hazardous area. The IS930.M1’s Ex marking includes IP64, while i.safe lists the standard model as IP68, so confirm the mining version’s ingress rating with i.safe; our data also gives no separate weight for the mining version.

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4. 

   4 Best for surface processing plants

   ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1

   ecom (Pepperl+Fuchs) · Dedicated Ex tablet

   Certified for

   Zone 1/21

   Marking

   II 2G Ex db ia IIC T6 Gb

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 1

   Operating system

   Android 16

   Security updates

   Q1 2032 (maker’s statement)

   Weight

   1122 g

   For crushing, screening and processing plants above ground, where the area is classified Zone 1/21 and no Group I certificate is needed, the ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1 is the tablet we would look at. It is a flameproof (Ex db ia) tablet certified for IIC T6 with dust group IIIC (T80 °C) under ATEX and IECEx, so its maximum surface temperature in dust is 80 °C against 135 °C on the i.safe tablets, which gives more margin with dusts that ignite at low temperatures. It carries Class I and II Division 1 and Class III listings, and approvals including Inmetro (Brazil), KC (Korea) and South Africa, which helps for an operator with sites in several countries.

   The 8-inch Android tablet is IP68 and MIL-STD-810H, takes glove and wet-hand touch, has a programmable function key for push-to-talk or an alarm and an S Pen in the box, and ecom lists a camera-free version. ecom states security updates until 2032, a date our data flags as unconfirmed.

   It is not a mining tablet. There is no Group I version in our data, so it must not go underground. The screen is 600 nits, it weighs 1,122 g, the battery is not user-replaceable, and the certificate allows charging only outside the hazardous area.

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5. 

   5 Best for stockpiles, conveyors and stores in Zone 2/22

   BARTEC ET60/65EX2 Android

   BARTEC · Rugged tablet, Ex version

   Certified for

   Zone 2/22

   Marking

   II 3G Ex ic op is IIC T4 Gc

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 2

   Operating system

   Android 14

   Security updates

   Until December 2031 (unconfirmed)

   Weight

   1074 g

   On the surface, much of a mine’s ground is not Zone 1: stockpiles, conveyor galleries, workshops and stores can be classified Zone 2/22, and for those areas the BARTEC ET60/65EX2 Android is the tablet we would put to work. BARTEC offers it with an SE55 1D/2D scan engine, so stores staff can scan spares and stock without a camera app, and its internal supercapacitor keeps it running while the battery is changed outside the hazardous area. The 10.1-inch display reaches 1,000 nits and works with gloves or a stylus, and it survives a 1.5 m drop to concrete.

   It is intrinsically safe to Ex ic IIC T4 with dust group IIIC for Zone 2/22 under ATEX and IECEx, and its North American types add Class I Division 2 (Groups A to D) and Class II Division 2 (Groups F and G). It runs Android 14 with an upgrade path to Android 16.

   It is certified for Zone 2/22 only and has no Group I version, so it stays above ground and out of Zone 1/21 areas. Its Ex dust marking includes IP64 (dust-tight, protected against splashing water), against IP68 on the other four picks. The December 2031 security-update date is Zebra’s date for the ET60/ET65 the tablet is built on, and BARTEC says it needs a LifeGuard service contract, so we treat it as unconfirmed and do not rank on it. It weighs 1,074 g.

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Before you buy

What a mining tablet must show

Underground and surface areas need different certificates, and the version of a tablet you buy decides which one you get. Confirm your classification with your safety engineer and mine regulator, then read the certificate for the exact model.

• Group I for underground

  A tablet used underground in a gassy mine must be certified Group I. A Zone 1 or Zone 2 certificate (Group II) does not cover it. Look for an ATEX marking that starts “I M1” or “I M2”, or an equipment protection level of Ma or Mb in an IECEx marking.

• Category M1 or M2

  M1 equipment (protection level Ma) may stay powered when an explosive atmosphere is present, as the i.safe IS930.M1, IS940.M1 and IS945.M1 may. M2 equipment (Mb) must be switched off when one occurs. Check which your procedures need.

• The mining version, not the standard model

  The mining versions have their own certificates (the IS940.M1 and IS945.M1 use EPS 25 ATEX 1 003 X and IECEx EPS 25.0003X). Order the M1 model by name, and get its charging, ambient and ingress conditions from i.safe: our data does not give them, and the IS930.M1’s marking, for example, carries IP64 where the standard IS930.1 is listed as IP68.

• Surface plant classification

  Processing plants, conveyors and stockpiles are classified in zones for gas and dust. The tablet’s rating must match the zone: the ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1 is certified for Zone 1/21, while the BARTEC ET60/65EX2 Android is Zone 2/22 only. Dust group IIIC covers conductive dust.

• Support dates

  Security updates for the i.safe MOBILE IS930.1 end in Q1 2027, against Q4 2032 for the IS940.1. The IS945.1 runs Windows on Arm, so x86 apps run through emulation and need testing.

• National mining rules

  Mine regulators can set their own approval rules on top of ATEX and IECEx. Our data lists the certificates and national approvals shown on each tablet page, not each regulator’s requirements, so check with yours.