Once again, replying to myself, but I have news!

I have managed to get the GUI running on the phone (still, just a GUI, no dialer functionality) in portrait mode-- but apparently the trick I was using to rotate the screen doesn't allow me to take proper screenshots. Bummer. I need to figure out why the rotation code from gPodder segfaults my n900.

However, here I present you with an 'almost worked' screenshot.
Just imagine it with the buttons in the proper place like the previous screenshot from my desktop.

Still looking for any Qt gurus...