Buyer's guide
Intrinsically Safe Tablet
Buyer's Guide 2026
What procurement, HSE, IT and plant operations teams should check before buying an ATEX or IECEx tablet. Each point links to a longer guide on this site.
What to check
- Zone and certification. Start from the site's hazardous area classification. Check that the marking on the certificate covers your zone, gas or dust group and temperature class, and which certificates the model holds: ATEX, IECEx, or national ones such as INMETRO, JPEx or KCs. See Zone 1 vs Zone 2 tablets and Japan and Korea certification.
- Device comparison. Compare zone rating, operating system, screen size, weight, IP rating and connectivity across the Zone 1 and Zone 2 tablets. See the tablet comparison.
- Cost of ownership. Beyond the device: certified accessories, MDM licences, app deployment, repairs, spares and the replacement cycle. See what drives the cost of an ATEX tablet.
- Software lifecycle. Ask for the security update commitment in writing and check when the chipset's support ends. See the buying decision guide.
- Rollout. Plan MDM setup, app deployment, charging (often only in the safe area), training, and entry of each unit in the site's Ex equipment register.
Specifications on this site are taken from manufacturer certificates and datasheets. Technical background is available at exknowledge.com.
Questions about choosing a tablet? Ask us
Tell us your zone, the work the tablet is for and any software it must run. We reply by email.