Plain and simple there isn't a better Android option than the shield yet. I have the 2017 pro. I put the projectivty launcher on it and haven't looked back .
Have you tried getting just one link to work? Troubleshooting is best when you start with a small problem and work up to more complexity. Narrow down what the issue is.
You dumped a ton of data and text in your post. I don't have a page of bookmarks in my dashboard. I tried a link at one point and never got it to work. I assumed at the time it had to do with http vs https but just decided I don't need that link in my HA dashboard. Good luck to you.
THIRDREALITY Zigbee Water Leak Sensor. I got it off amazon $20 works great with ZB2MQTT I have it under my AC unit in the garage incase the drain gets plugged and condensation goes crazy. It beeps loudly when it detects water so if something is up with your HA or zigbee network, it still alerts someone. I would buy another one, prime shipping and not too expensive.
I use frigate on a separate PC that's several years old that I snagged from work surplus. You can find a similar one on eBay or woot. When I started, Frigate is a resource hog on a pi. MQTT on the pi as a HA addon is plenty.
Plain and simple there isn't a better Android option than the shield yet. I have the 2017 pro. I put the projectivty launcher on it and haven't looked back .