Some previous attempts at this kind of second-screen/low-power interface that never really caught on:
HN user
throwaway982749
Well... there's evidence right there in the English language.
dig·it [ˈdijit]
NOUN
1) any of the numerals from 0 to 9, especially when forming part of a number.
2) a finger (including the thumb) or toe.The article fails to mention that Standing Rock is currently a very cold place. From what I can tell, it's been below freezing for weeks now.
In those conditions, batteries can drain much faster, report capacity incorrectly and then fail unexpectedly. It's probably magnified by all the extra work the radio has to do to find and hold a signal from the overloaded rural cell towers.
https://www.getorchard.com/blog/iphone-battery-dies-in-cold-...
And anyone who's used a phone in extreme cold with gloves on knows that touchscreens can do a lot of weird things, including opening apps unexpectedly.
My hunch is that a large part of the reports are hearsay by visiting protestors who aren't used to the conditions.