Apple's Mac App Store-only strategy for the release of OS X Lion has brought consternation to some, particularly those in rural areas without reliable high-speed Internet and folks in enterprise and educational IT departments. However, for a large group of Mac users -- those outside the US and Canada -- the Mac App Store is a boon for the wallet.
Apple made significant price cuts to Lion compared to what the company charged for Snow Leopard. Because the price didn't change much in the US or Canada -- it rose 3% from $29 to $29.99 -- we can assume the main reason for the change in pricing is cost savings from digital delivery.
To get pricing for Lion and Snow Leopard, we examined each country's Apple Online Store and Lion launch pages. Some countries we looked at, notably China, Hong Kong, and South Korea, had no pricing announced for Lion so we skipped them.
Pricing was compared within individual countries so any VAT or taxation should be identical.
Update: As a commenter Halluxxx correctly points out, the pricing of Snow Leopard in Japan is Y3,300, not Y4,400. We regret the error.
Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by Eric Slivka
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking!
Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27.
During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14.
iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update.
Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries.
In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
It's ridiculous to conclude that the lower price is solely from online delivery. There's no way it cost Apple $100 tondistribute a DVD.
No the difference is a change in business strategy to get new OS updates into users' hands at a more affordable price. Why? Because Lion add to the system lockin attributes of the Mac ecosystem.
I believe you need to move that decimal point over to the right a couple of digits. The App Store distribution method means there is no disc or disc image. It installs directly on the machine that purchases the OS software. How would it be possible to get this on 100 machines?
Sign into App Store account on computer you want to install on
Store>Purchases>Lion>Install
I think the main reason for comparative 'savings' is exchange rate. whenever apple releases a new product, the prices are fixed at US prices and the current exchange at that time.
Products go up and down in price. For example, the iPhone 4 in NZ was slightly cheaper than the iPhone 3GS at respective launches. I remember one year the MacBook pros increased in price by 20-30% but dropped again in the following refresh.
I assume that's why 99c songs and 99c apps aren't the same prices in non-US stores.
To get pricing for Lion and Snow Leopard, we examined each country's Apple Online Store and Lion launch pages. Some countries we looked at, notably China, Hong Kong, and South Korea, had no pricing announced for Lion so we skipped them.
