Welcome to our world 
I switched to Linux 2006, some years later I found FairPhone2, later FP3 + /e/, now recently FP5 + Murena (I dropped my FP3 on a stone, too much damage to main board…) after messing a bit with LineagOS, and my spare phone runs Jolla Sailfish.
Regarding syncing there are many ways, especially with free software.
I use Syncthing so I basically immediately have photos I take with the phone, on my desktop.
Then my desktop syncs it to my own cloud. That way I am not much dependant on cloud or internet connection to my computer.
Syncthing also syncs some select folders on some laptops, and some use nextcloud client for syncing to my rented Nextcloud server.
Syncthing is hands down superior in reliability and features (i.e staggered versioning) for file sync, except it do not work with any other server/cloud, but you can have an “always on” node yourself to sync to.
Another neat app is KDEConnect, especially for Linux KDE/Plasma but also other desktops, and Andriod and derivatives: easy manually transfer files, control multimedia, send clipboard, remote control, and other tricks.
What I currently miss is my old notes in the notes app, else I am fine.
Some other notes on syncing: Murena cloud syncing in one or two directions?
BTW I am using Mageia, descendant of another creation of Gael Duval: Mandrake Linux.