Xshielder · Certified Ex case
Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch
- Zone 1/21
- ATEX
- IIC
- T6
The Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch is a flameproof (Ex d) case for the iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), certified for Zone 1/21 under ATEX. The tablet inside is a standard iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) running iPadOS 27, so it works with the same apps and device management.
- Certified for
- Zone 1/21
- Protection
- Flameproof enclosure (Ex db)
- Screen
- 11-inch
- Temperature class
- T6 (≤ 85 °C)
- Ambient temperature
- −20 °C to +45 °C
- Operating system
- iPadOS 27
- Security updates
- 7–8 years (based on previous iPad Pro support)
- Weight
- 1350 g
- Price
- On request
Overview
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- T6 temperature class, the strictest rating
- 5G on cellular versions
- Security updates for 7–8 years (based on previous iPad Pro support)
- LiDAR scanner usable through the case
- A standard iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) inside, with the same apps and Apple device management
Limitations
- ATEX only: no IECEx certificate
- Ambient rating tops out at +45 °C
- Not certified for Zone 0
Best for
Certification
Where you can use it
Gas
- Zone 0not certified.Explosive gas present continuously or for long periods
- Zone 1certified.Explosive gas likely in normal operation
- Zone 2certified.Explosive gas unlikely, and only briefly
Dust
- Zone 20not certified.Combustible dust present continuously or for long periods
- Zone 21certified.Combustible dust likely in normal operation
- Zone 22certified.Combustible dust unlikely, and only briefly
The Ex marking, decoded
ATEX
Gas atmospheresZones 1 and 2
II2GExdbIICT6Gb
IIEquipment group- Group II: equipment for surface industries (not mining).
2GATEX category- Category 2 for gas: suitable down to Zone 1.
ExExplosion protected- Certified to the IEC 60079 / EN 60079 series.
dbProtection type- Flameproof enclosure: the housing is built to contain an ignition inside it and stop the flame reaching the atmosphere outside.
IICGas group- Gas group IIC, e.g. hydrogen and acetylene. The most demanding group; also covers IIA and IIB.
T6Temperature class- Surface stays below 85 °C. T6 is the strictest class.
GbProtection level- Equipment protection level Gb (high): suitable for Zone 1 and 2.
Dust atmospheresZones 21 and 22
II2DExtbIIICT80°CDb
2DATEX category- Category 2 for dust: suitable down to Zone 21.
tbProtection type- Protection by enclosure for dust: the enclosure keeps dust out and its surface stays below the stated temperature.
IIICDust group- Dust group IIIC: conductive dust. The most demanding group; also covers IIIA and IIIB.
T80°CMax surface temperature- Surface stays below 80°C in dust.
DbProtection level- Equipment protection level Db (high): suitable for Zone 21 and 22.
IIEx as above.
Safe use
Rules for the hazardous area
- Ambient temperature (Ta)
- −20 °C to +45 °C
- Battery swap
- Outside the hazardous area only
- Certified accessories
- Xshielder Stylus (capacitive, 22 g, aluminium, with lanyard). Ex rating of the stylus not stated. Apple Pencil not mentioned.Unconfirmed, see note 1
- Operating temperature
- −20 °C to +45 °CUnconfirmed, see note 2
Specifications
Full specifications
Device specifications are for the iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) inside. “What works through the case” shows which of its features you can use in the case.
Certification
- ATEX marking
- II 2G Ex db IIC T6 Gb / II 2D Ex tb IIIC T80°C Db
- ATEX certificate
- ATEX certified
- Other approvals
- Lanyard hole to NS-9611 (pending testing)
- Protection level (EPL)
- Gb / Db
- Dust group
- IIIC
- Max surface temperature (dust)
- 80 °C
Device
- Type
- Certified Ex case
- Tablet inside
- iPad Pro 11-inch (M5)
- Also fits
- iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
- Fitting
- Fitted by the makerUnconfirmed, see note 3
- Tablet can be removed
- Yes, but only by Xshielder authorised personnel (lid glued on the ATEX version)Unconfirmed, see note 3
- Launched
- 2026
- Part numbers
- XS1-TB-G01-C01-S01; datasheet ref. iPad11P-000033-1
- Operating system
- iPadOS 27
- Edition
- iPadOS (consumer; no LTSC or enterprise edition)
- OS at launch
- iPadOS 26
- OS upgrades
- Still supported by iPadOS 27 (current)
- Security updates
- 7–8 years (based on previous iPad Pro support)
- Processor
- Apple M5 (up to 10-core CPU)
- Processor architecture
- Arm
- Memory (RAM)
- 12 (256/512 GB) / 16 (1/2 TB)
- Storage
- 256 GB, 512 GB, 1024 GB, 2048 GB
What works through the case
- Face ID / Touch ID
- Yes: Face ID works through the cover (confirmed by Xshielder)
- Apple Pencil / stylus
- Yes: stylus input works through the cover (confirmed by Xshielder); Xshielder capacitive stylus (22 g, interchangeable tips, lanyard) offered
- Side and volume buttons
- Yes: usable through the cover (Xshielder: all iPad Pro functions available)
- Rear cameras
- Yes: 12 MP Wide camera with 4K video and ProRes works through the cover (confirmed by Xshielder)
- LiDAR
- Yes: LiDAR works through the cover (confirmed by Xshielder)
- Front camera
- Yes: landscape 12 MP Center Stage camera with Face ID works through the cover (confirmed by Xshielder)
- Touchscreen
- Yes: works through the cover (Xshielder: all iPad Pro functions available)
- Charging
- USB-C charging as on a standard iPad Pro (confirmed by Xshielder); 50% in 30 min with a 60 W adapter (M5); no wireless
- Speakers and microphones
- Yes: all 4 microphones and 4 speakers usable (confirmed by Xshielder)
- Headset audio
- Yes: audio in and out works (confirmed by Xshielder); headsets via USB-C or Bluetooth, as the iPad Pro has no 3.5 mm jack
- USB-C port
- Yes: accessible for charging and data, as on a standard iPad Pro (confirmed by Xshielder)
- SIM card
- eSIM only (1 x eSIM, cellular models); no SIM tray
- Removed or disabled
- Nothing removed or disabled: all iPad Pro features available (confirmed by Xshielder)
- Mounting points
- 1/4-inch tripod mount; lanyard hole to NS-9611 (pending testing)
Field capabilities
- Push-to-talk
- Via app (third-party PTT apps over Wi-Fi/cellular; no PTT key; Ex-rated? n/a)
- Lone worker
- Via app (third-party lone-worker apps)
- Barcode scanning
- Via app (camera-based scanning; no scan engine)
- NFC reading
- Not possible (no NFC reader on any iPad)Unconfirmed, see note 4
- 3D scanning / LiDAR
- Built in (iPad Pro LiDAR); Xshielder lists 'Pro camera with LiDAR'
- Remote expert / video calls
- Via app (FaceTime, Teams or remote-assist apps; cameras and audio work through the cover)
- Windows desktop software
- Not possible (iPadOS only)
- Bluetooth gas detectors
- Via app (Bluetooth 6 (M5) / 5.3 (M4); vendor app; no maker-certified integration listed)
Display and camera
- Display
- 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
- Resolution
- 2420 × 1668 (264 ppi)
- Brightness
- 1000 (SDR max)
- Pen / stylus
- Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C); magnetic attach and charge, hover
- Rear camera
- 12 MP Wide, f/1.8, True Tone flash
- Front camera
- 12 MP Center Stage, landscape, TrueDepth (Face ID)
- Video
- 4K video, ProRes
- Depth sensing
- LiDAR scanner
Connectivity
- Network
- Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + Cellular (5G sub-6 GHz)
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), 2x2 MIMO
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 6
- 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
- 1350 g (including the tablet)
- Dimensions
- 289 × 217 × 16 mm
- Ingress protection
- IP65 (pending testing)Unconfirmed, see note 5
- Battery
- 8160Unconfirmed, see note 6
- Battery energy
- 31.29
- Battery life
- Up to 10 hours web or video on Wi-Fi
- Hot-swap battery
- No
- Replaceable battery
- No
- Ports and expansion
- Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB-C, up to 40 Gb/s); 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 for iPad Pro)
Controls & Accessibility
- Keys
- Top button (no Touch ID; Face ID model), volume buttons; no programmable hardware key
- Push-to-talk key
- No
- Biometrics
- Face ID
Fleet and support
- Manufacturer
- Xshielder AS, Norway
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 Xshielder AS website for the full data sheet.
Compare
How it compares
Best in this comparison
| XshielderXshielder iPad Pro 11-inchThis tablet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Certified Ex case | Certified Ex case | Certified Ex case | Converted tablet |
| Screen size | 11-inch | 8.3-inch | 8.3-inch | 8.3-inch |
| Availability | Current | Current | Current | Current |
| Gas zones | Zone 1, Zone 2 | Zone 1, Zone 2 | Zone 1, Zone 2 | Zone 1, Zone 2 |
| Dust zones | Zone 21, Zone 22 | Zone 21, Zone 22 | — | Zone 21, Zone 22 |
| Protection | Flameproof enclosure (Ex db) | Flameproof enclosure (Ex db) | Flameproof enclosure (Ex db) | Flameproof enclosure (Ex db) |
| Gas group | IIC | IIC | IIB | IIC |
| Temperature class | T6 (best in this comparison) | T6 (best in this comparison) | T6 (best in this comparison) | T4 |
| Certification | ATEX | ATEX + IECEx | ATEX + IECEx | ATEX + IECEx |
| North America | — | — | — | Class I Division 2 |
| Ambient temperature | −20 °C to +45 °C | −20 °C to +40 °C (standard range: no Ta is marked on IECEx TPS 25.0016X, so IEC 60079-0 applies) | −20 °C to +50 °C | −20 °C to +50 °C |
| Charging in the Ex area | — | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Operating system | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 |
| Security updates | 7–8 years (based on previous iPad Pro support) (best in this comparison) | At least until October 2029 (Apple's minimum) | Ended September 2026 | Ended September 2026 |
| Weight | 1350 g | 1396 g | 1350 g | 990 g (best in this comparison) |
| Display | 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 | 8.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, P3, True Tone, fully laminated, antireflective coating | 8.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, P3, True Tone, antireflective coating | 8.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD, P3, True Tone, antireflective coating |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pen / stylus | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C); magnetic attach and charge, hover | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C); hover | Apple Pencil (2nd generation), Apple Pencil (USB-C); magnetic attach and charge (2nd gen) | Apple Pencil (2nd generation), Apple Pencil (USB-C); magnetic attach and charge (2nd gen) |
| 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 Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch certified for Zone 1?
Yes. The Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch is certified for Zone 1/21 with the marking II 2G Ex db IIC T6 Gb. Equipment certified for Zone 1 can also be used in Zone 2.
Can the Xshielder iPad Pro 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 Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch use?
It uses a flameproof enclosure (Ex db), a form of explosion-proof protection. The housing is built to contain an ignition inside it and stop the flame reaching the surrounding atmosphere.
What does T6 mean for the Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch?
Its surface stays below 85 °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 Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch?
A standard iPad Pro 11-inch (M5). It is also certified for the iPad Pro 11-inch (M4). A certified enclosure that lets a standard consumer tablet be used in hazardous areas.
What operating system does the Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch run?
iPadOS 27. Security updates are expected for 7 to 8 years from launch, based on previous iPad Pro support.
How much does the Xshielder iPad Pro 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
- Not checked against the certificate for this exact model. Return to note 1
- From a single source. Return to note 2
- Not stated by the maker for this exact model. Return to note 3
- Not confirmed by the maker for this exact model. Return to note 4
- From a single source; not stated in the Ex certificate. Return to note 5
- Apple states battery capacity in watt-hours only; this figure is from the case maker's documents. Return to note 6
Sources and verification
Facts last verified on against:
- IECEx: IECEx online certificate database: holder searches for Getac, Winmate, Zebra, Panasonic, Dell, Durabook, Xplore, Twinhead (2026-10-25)
- Xshielder: Datasheet iPad11P-000033-1 (PDF modified 2026-09-04)
- Xshielder: Xshielder ATEX iPad Pro 11 product page (read 2026-10-25)
- Xshielder: Downloads page: 30 files, only iPad item is the datasheet (read 2026-10-25)
- Xshielder: Blog: Intrinsically Safe iPad: The Search Is Finally Over (updated Sept 2026)
- 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)
- mining-report.de: ATEX certified cases enable consumer tablets in underground mining environments (2026-05-05)
- 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.