I understand what you are saying, but wouldn't said company just want to purchase POET rather than get a 1 year jump on the competition?

I too, have been going through the commercial partner scenarios and keep thinking that Apple appears to be in the right timeframe for acquiring POET. Last year they paid upwards of $10Billion to Samsung for their chips, and aren't happy doing that.

The timing of Bob Mansfield leaving the Executive Team in late July 2013 to work on Special Projects is interesting for sure, and there has been next to no word on anything he has been doing since then, and many new products from Apple have been delayed. (ie. iwatch)

Apple has over $140Billion in cash, approximately $40Billion available (onshore US).

Of course this is all speculation on my part. :)