I just use nextcloud as a target for backups (Aegis, Signal, QkSMS). Apps such as KeePassDX I have load the file via nextcloud. My contacts and calendar go through it as well, photos are just set to auto upload along with a few other directories.
As for the home screen layouts, I just take screenshots once I have it how I like and try to remember to take them again if I change stuff.
It’s not a full backup but I’m back up and running fairly quickly (Pixel 5A died on me 3 times in under a one year lifespan per device).
Fwiw I used to daily an x210 and then an x230 in IT and pretty frequently typed with one hand while carrying with another without the weight bugging me but your mileage may vary.
You can definitely send them flying and not damage them my coworker launched theirs across the office and the bezel just snapped back together.
I have a T480 now since I do more dev work and needed a slightly bigger keyboard/screen and it’s phenomenal with Qubes and 48gb of memory on the quad core i5. Love the ease to repair I just swapped a motherboard on it in around 30 minutes and was back up and running