Sprint has started selling an intrinsically safe (IS) version of it Sonim XP Strike rugged Direct Connect phone. IS devices are designed for environments with flammable gasses or dust.
Such devices have extra protections to ensure that – even in the event of a component failure – the device cannot be a source of ignition. IS devices are required in places that handle large amounts of fuel, mines, and even some large bakeries. The last IS phone offered by Sprint was the Motorola i365IS, an iDEN phone introduced in 2008 and discontinued in June 2012. The Sonim XP Strike IS has a special IS battery that protrudes from the back, making the phone 1.2″ thick. The battery and other IS changes also bump the price up to $600 on contract.
The XP Strike IS is available now.
