A few questions:

1) Will she be editing raws? What kind of editing. If it's for professional edits, then I don't think the 10.2 would cut it. Might want to consider the air, or better yet, the Pro. If she's gonna be editing raw, 64 GB isn't gonna cut it. Also, I think most people prefer to edit drawings on a proper right. Not a photographer though so take this with a pinch of salt.

2) What kind of drawing? Is she a budding artist, or a full blown one? There is a gap between the screen and the glass which can bother someone who is used to drawing on paper.

If you look out for promos, you could get the older generation Pro (10.5 or 12.9). I myself have the 10.5 pro. It's awesome for doing sketches and I'm glad I didn't settle with the 10.2 or mini (The mini is too small to sketch on comfortably. The 12.9 is too large IMHO, especially if portability is of primary concern).

If she is just a budding artist, the 10.2 might be a good idea. At least if she doesn't like it, you didn't burn too much cash. Some people don't like drawing digitally, it doesn't feel the same. This can be remedied with a matte screen protector - paperlike is an often mentioned brand. It works better since there's more friction between the pencil and the screen, emulating drawing on paper. I myself use Elecom - harder to procure but a review from someone who had both, preferred Elecom to Paperlike. Note that the increased friction would result in the nib wearing it faster. Happened to me.

If you aren't comfortable speaking of it openly, shoot me a PM. Would be more than willing to answer any questions you might have with regards to sketching on the iPad. Of course, better to ask here since you would reach a wider audience.

A few questions:

1) Will she be editing raws? What kind of editing. If it's for professional edits, then I don't think the 10.2 would cut it. Might want to consider the air, or better yet, the Pro. If she's gonna be editing raw, 64 GB isn't gonna cut it. Also, I think most people prefer to edit drawings on a proper right. Not a photographer though so take this with a pinch of salt.

2) What kind of drawing? Is she a budding artist, or a full blown one? There is a gap between the screen and the glass which can bother someone who is used to drawing on paper.

If you look out for promos, you could get the older generation Pro (10.5 or 12.9). I myself have the 10.5 pro. It's awesome for doing sketches and I'm glad I didn't settle with the 10.2 or mini (The mini is too small to sketch on comfortably. The 12.9 is too large IMHO, especially if portability is of primary concern).

If she is just a budding artist, the 10.2 might be a good idea. At least if she doesn't like it, you didn't burn too much cash. Some people don't like drawing digitally, it doesn't feel the same. This can be remedied with a matte screen protector - paperlike is an often mentioned brand. It works better since there's more friction between the pencil and the screen, emulating drawing on paper. I myself use Elecom - harder to procure but a review from someone who had both, preferred Elecom to Paperlike. Note that the increased friction would result in the nib wearing it faster. Happened to me.

If you aren't comfortable speaking of it openly, shoot me a PM. Would be more than willing to answer any questions you might have with regards to sketching on the iPad. Of course, better to ask here since you would reach a wider audience.

Since you're new here, you should know that you can just edit your first post to include your additional answer. It's generally frowned upon (or downright rule-breaking) for what you just did. Especially since this Sub enables post count.

To answer your question:

If she's used to using a Wacom tablet, she should appreciate drawing directly onto the media more. My niece tried my iPad and says it's a much better experience than using her Wacom. Maybe bring her to an Apple store and asks what she thinks? (After the restriction have been lifted of course!). I'm not talking about the current gen pro. Try to look for the 2nd Gen Pro. Some can be had for around your budget, brand new. People winning lucky draws and what not. Or sometimes outlets just clearing out stock.

As I said, I'm no photographer so I don't know too much when it comes to photo editing. The larger space would help if she's editing RAWS - from what I understand, they take up quite a bit of space. You're gonna have to wait for someone else to chime in with regards to the processing power since that's something out of my league.

Can't help you there on the Samsung I'm afraid. Have zero experience using them. I started using AutoDesk SketchBook and have used it since. Good enough for simple sketches. A lot of users swear by Procreate - it isn't free though. Tons more functionality but if you haven't reached that level, no point to purchase it. Not too expensive either for what it gives.

Is she already in the Apple eco-system? If she is, I would strongly recommend the iPad