Xciel · Certified Ex case
Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch
- Zone 2
- ATEX
- IIC
- T4
The Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch is an Ex ic-rated case for the iPad Air 11-inch (M2), rated for Zone 2 under ATEX. The tablet inside is a standard iPad Air 11-inch (M2) running iPadOS 27, so it works with the same apps and device management.
- Certified for
- Zone 2
- Protection
- Intrinsic safety (Ex ic)
- Screen
- 11-inch
- Temperature class
- T4 (≤ 135 °C)
- Ambient temperature
- −20 °C to +50 °CUnconfirmed, see note 1
- Operating system
- iPadOS 27
- Security updates
- At least until May 2029 (Apple's minimum)
- Weight
- 642 gUnconfirmed, see note 2
- Price
- On request
Overview
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- 5G on cellular versions
- A standard iPad Air 11-inch (M2) inside, with the same apps and Apple device management
- Among the lightest Zone 2 tablets of its size we list, at 642 g in use
Limitations
- Zone 2 only, so not for Zone 1 areas
- Ex marking not yet confirmed against a published certificate
- No dust zone rating
- ATEX only: no IECEx certificate
Best for
Certification
Where you can use it
Gas
- Zone 0not certified.Explosive gas present continuously or for long periods
- Zone 1not certified.Explosive gas likely in normal operation
- Zone 2certified.Explosive gas unlikely, and only briefly
Dust
No dust zones listed in our verified data. Check the certificate.
The Ex marking, decoded
Gas atmospheresZone 2
ExicIICT4Gc
ExExplosion protected- Certified to the IEC 60079 / EN 60079 series.
icProtection type- Intrinsic safety, level "ic": safe in normal operation. Zone 2 only.
IICGas group- Gas group IIC, e.g. hydrogen and acetylene. The most demanding group; also covers IIA and IIB.
T4Temperature class- Surface stays below 135 °C. T6 is the strictest class.
GcProtection level- Equipment protection level Gc (enhanced): suitable for Zone 2.
Safe use
Rules for the hazardous area
- Ambient temperature (Ta)
- −20 °C to +50 °CUnconfirmed, see note 1
- Battery swap
- Outside the hazardous area only
- Certified accessories
- Nylon case, touch pen (stylus), touch winter gloves, chest harness, Xciel Care service. Ex rating of accessories not stated.Unconfirmed, see note 3
- Operating temperature
- −20 °C to +50 °CUnconfirmed, see note 4
Specifications
Full specifications
Device specifications are for the iPad Air 11-inch (M2) inside. “What works through the case” shows which of its features you can use in the case.
Certification
- ATEX marking
- Ex ic IIC T4 GcUnconfirmed, see note 1
- ATEX certificate
- Not published
- Protection level (EPL)
- GcUnconfirmed, see note 1
Device
- Type
- Certified Ex case
- Tablet inside
- iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
- Also fits
- iPad Air (5th generation, M1) 10.9-inch, iPad Air (4th generation) 10.9-inch, iPad Air (3rd generation) 10.5-inch
- Fitting
- Installed by the customer
- Tablet can be removed
- Yes (rubber enclosure; Xciel sells an ATEX Zone 2 version the customer installs)Unconfirmed, see note 5
- Part numbers
- XCRIPADAIR11; XCRIPADAIR2022 (Air 5); with-iPad variants
- Operating system
- iPadOS 27
- Edition
- iPadOS (consumer; no LTSC or enterprise edition)
- OS at launch
- iPadOS 17.5
- OS upgrades
- Still supported by iPadOS 27 (current)
- Security updates
- At least until May 2029 (Apple's minimum)
- Processor
- Apple M2 (8-core CPU)
- Processor architecture
- Arm
- Memory (RAM)
- 8 GBUnconfirmed, see note 6
- Storage
- 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1024 GB
What works through the case
- Apple Pencil / stylus
- Touch pen (stylus) offered; Apple Pencil attach/charge not possible through the rubber enclosure (inferred)Unconfirmed, see note 7
- Side and volume buttons
- External power, volume and mute buttons
- Rear cameras
- Camera cover with transparent lens protection (camera usable)Unconfirmed, see note 7
- Touchscreen
- Touch through the case; 'compatible with stylus and gloves'Unconfirmed, see note 7
- Charging
- USB-C through a water/dust-proof power plugUnconfirmed, see note 7
- USB-C port
- Through the sealed power plug (charging)Unconfirmed, see note 7
- Removed or disabled
- Nothing stated as removed or disabledUnconfirmed, see note 7
- Mounting points
- Shoulder strap and handling/clipping features (with nylon case); chest harness optionUnconfirmed, see note 7
Field capabilities
- Push-to-talk
- Via app (third-party PTT apps over Wi-Fi/cellular; no PTT key; Ex-rated? n/a)Unconfirmed, see note 8
- Lone worker
- Via app (third-party lone-worker apps)Unconfirmed, see note 8
- Barcode scanning
- Via app (camera-based scanning; no scan engine)Unconfirmed, see note 8
- NFC reading
- Not possible (no NFC reader on any iPad)Unconfirmed, see note 8
- 3D scanning / LiDAR
- Not possible (no LiDAR on this iPad)
- Remote expert / video calls
- Via app (FaceTime, Teams or remote-assist apps; needs camera and audio access through the case)Unconfirmed, see note 8
- Windows desktop software
- Not possible (iPadOS only)
- Bluetooth gas detectors
- Via app (Bluetooth 5.3; vendor app; no maker-certified integration listed)Unconfirmed, see note 8
Display and camera
- Display
- 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, P3, True Tone, antireflective coating
- Resolution
- 2360 × 1640 (264 ppi)
- Brightness
- 500 nits
- Pen / stylus
- Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C)
- Rear camera
- 12 MP Wide, f/1.8
- Front camera
- 12 MP Ultra Wide, landscape
- Video
- 4K video
Connectivity
- Network
- Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + Cellular (5G)
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Satellite positioning
- GPS/GNSS on Wi-Fi + Cellular models; digital compass and Wi-Fi location on all
- SIM
- eSIM only (cellular models)
Physical and power
- Weight
- 642 g (including the tablet)Unconfirmed, see note 2
- Dimensions
- 263 × 193 × 14.3 mmUnconfirmed, see note 4
- Ingress protection
- IP54
- Battery energy
- 28.93
- Battery life
- Up to 10 hours web or video on Wi-Fi
- Hot-swap battery
- No
- Replaceable battery
- No
- Ports and expansion
- USB-C; Smart Connector; magnetic Apple Pencil connector
- Docking
- USB-C hubs and docks; Smart Connector or magnetic keyboard accessories where the iPad has them. Not usable through sealed Ex cases except the USB-C or Lightning charging port where the case exposes it.
- Keyboard
- Smart Connector (Magic Keyboard)
Controls & Accessibility
- Keys
- Top button with Touch ID sensor, volume buttons; no programmable hardware key
- Push-to-talk key
- No
- Biometrics
- Touch ID (top button)
Fleet and support
- Manufacturer
- Xciel Inc, USA
Only specifications we could check are listed. A numbered marker next to a value means it is unconfirmed: it comes from a single or secondary source, or sources disagree. The matching note at the foot of the page explains each one. See the Xciel Inc website for the full data sheet.
Compare
How it compares
Best in this comparison
| XcielXciel XCRiPad Air 11-inchThis tablet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Certified Ex case | Certified Ex case | Converted tablet | Certified Ex case |
| Screen size | 11-inch | 11-inch | 11-inch | 11-inch |
| Availability | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| Gas zones | Zone 2 | Zone 2 | Zone 2 | Zone 1, Zone 2 (best in this comparison) |
| Dust zones | — | Zone 22 | Zone 22 | Zone 21, Zone 22 |
| Protection | Intrinsic safety (Ex ic) | Restricted-breathing enclosure (Ex nR) | Increased safety and intrinsic safety (Ex ec ic) | Flameproof enclosure (Ex db) |
| Gas group | IIC | IIC | IIC | IIC |
| Temperature class | T4 | T6 (best in this comparison) | T4 | T6 (best in this comparison) |
| Certification | ATEX | ATEX + IECEx | ATEX | ATEX |
| North America | — | — | — | — |
| Ambient temperature | −20 °C to +50 °C | −20 °C to +50 °C | — | −20 °C to +45 °C |
| Charging in the Ex area | — | Not allowed | — | — |
| Operating system | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 |
| Security updates | At least until May 2029 (Apple's minimum) | At least until March 2030 (Apple's minimum) | At least until March 2030 (Apple's minimum) | 7–8 years (based on previous iPad Pro support) (best in this comparison) |
| Weight | 642 g (best in this comparison) | — | 1050 g | 1350 g |
| Display | 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, P3, True Tone, antireflective coating | 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, True Tone, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (no antireflective coating or full lamination listed by Apple) | 11-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, True Tone, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (no antireflective coating or full lamination listed by Apple) | 11-inch Ultra Retina XDR tandem OLED, ProMotion 10-120 Hz, P3, True Tone, antireflective coating; nano-texture glass option on 1 and 2 TB |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pen / stylus | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C) | Apple Pencil (USB-C), Apple Pencil (1st generation) with adapter | Apple Pencil (USB-C), Apple Pencil (1st generation) with adapter | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C); magnetic attach and charge, hover |
| Replaceable battery | No | No | No | No |
| Hot-swap battery | No | No | No | No |
| Price | On request | On request | On request | On request |
FAQ
Common questions
Is the Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch certified for Zone 1?
No. It is rated, according to Xciel's published data, for Zone 2 only, so it can be used in Zone 2 but not in Zone 1.
Can the Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch be used in Zone 0?
No. It is not certified for Zone 0. Zone 0 needs equipment with protection level Ga, such as Ex ia intrinsic safety.
What type of explosion protection does the Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch use?
It is intrinsically safe: intrinsic safety (Ex ic). Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in the device below the level that could ignite the surrounding atmosphere.
What does T4 mean for the Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch?
Its surface stays below 135 °C, so it is suitable for gases that only ignite above that temperature. Check the ignition temperature of the substances on your site.
Which tablet is inside the Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch?
A standard iPad Air 11-inch (M2). It is also certified for the iPad Air (5th generation, M1) 10.9-inch, iPad Air (4th generation) 10.9-inch and iPad Air (3rd generation) 10.5-inch. A certified enclosure that lets a standard consumer tablet be used in hazardous areas.
What operating system does the Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch run?
iPadOS 27. Apple guarantees security updates until at least May 2029; earlier iPads have had longer support.
How much does the Xciel XCRiPad Air 11-inch cost?
Prices for certified hazardous-area tablets depend on volume, configuration and region, so they are on request. Contact us for a price.
Notes on unconfirmed values
- Marking as stated by Xciel. Xciel doesn't publish the certificate or declaration of conformity, so we haven't been able to check it. Return to note 1
- From a single source; the maker's figures vary. Return to note 2
- Not checked against the certificate for this exact model. Return to note 3
- From a single source. Return to note 4
- Not stated by the maker for this exact model. Return to note 5
- Apple doesn't publish RAM; from independent teardowns. Return to note 6
- Inferred from related information; not stated by the maker for this exact model. Return to note 7
- Not confirmed by the maker for this exact model. Return to note 8
Sources and verification
Facts last verified on against:
- Xciel: XCRiPad 11 inch (A16) datasheet (PDF)
- Xciel: XCRiPad mini 6 and Air (5th gen) datasheets (PDF, 2022-2023)
- Xciel: I.S. iPad range page (read 2026-10-25)
- Xciel: Online store: XCRiPad 11 (11th gen), mini 7, Air 11 2024, Pro 11 2024, mini 5, mini 4 pages (read 2026-10-25)
- Apple: Identify your iPad model (model numbers, years)
- Apple: UK PSTI Statements of Compliance, one per model (regulatoryinfo.apple.com/ukpsti): first supply date and minimum 5-year defined support period
- Apple: iPadOS 27 compatibility list (apple.com/os/ipados)
- ERS Online: XCRiPad Zone 2 listings (10.2, Pro 11)
- BGR / EveryMac / 9to5Mac: iPadOS 27 drops iPad mini 5, iPad 8, iPad Air 3, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st gen (release 2026-09-14)
Always check the certificate for your exact model before use. Spotted an error? Tell us.