just set the phone to automatically launch in portrait mode and you're set.

Making phone app accessible to easy would make more opportunity for unwanted outgoing calls when Your device is in the pocket At least unlocking the device should be out of the scope in disscussion how to make phone app more easy to reach IMHO

It should be very easy to develop status area plugin which will activate phone app so it could be started from there (see: http://maemo.org/api_refs/5.0/5.0-fi...atus-menu.html).

The more complex idea: there could be one button which pressed should activate phone app; if device is locked it show standard UI for unlocking the device - after user unlock the device, phone app should start automatically (no need to press again any HW/SW button). But that is something that cannot be done probably (or is there any way for grabbing HW key events for all the time and disable default 'handlers' for them - for example camera application could be started with opening camera, so it is already quite easy to start it. When camera is not an active app pressing 'camera button' could start phone app - when camera is an active it would normaly just take a photo)

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a little something

I set mine to turn the phone on when I turn it to portrait mode. However, I have an icon for contact and phone on my main workspace right where my thumb falls on the screen. I also, added my priority contacts on that screen as well.

Or start typing the contact name, tap at the contact and then at the number. Most numbers I call are in my addressbook.