[mikhailt]

There's also the possibility that Apple knows it infringes on certain patents but have done a risk assessment saying the lawsuits would be cheaper to go than to buy the company outright.

Going with the lawsuits also mean a good chance some patents could get invalidated but if not, Apple could end up paying more in the long run. Given how much money they have, they may not care because they could just buy the company outright later.