AX standard is useless if most companies dont provide 160 Mhz channel width in entry level routers and phones/laptops.
I used to think the same, but I tend to disagree here.
5G AX has slightly higher possible PHY rates and better SNR over range with compatible AX hardware. A weak broadcast signal on AC mode (AX router/AC client) will perform significantly worse than the AX mode (AX router/AX client) at typical range. Obviously this will vary depending on device and actual hardware implementation between devices.. Example: A good AC router is better than a cheap AX router.
The problem with most entry AX devices isn't lack of 160mhz, but the lack of a good 4x4 radio as most are limited to 2x2 config and get destroyed by a higher end 4x4 AC wave 2 design in terms of coverage vs speed.
Other than that, the AX 5G standard is quite similar to AC Wave 2. The argument against 160mhz (both AC/AX) is that it only supports 1 or 2 blocks (depending on region) and 75% of that is DFS channels which can end up providing worse performance than a cleaner 80mhz block, but its a something that varies highly due to environment and configuration.
Logically, most 5G AX clients will only support 80mhz for the sake of consistency and auto channel selection. The new PS5 game console for example supports 80mhz max and I believe that's an intended limitation. I don't expect future IoT devices such as smart TV hubs like ROKU, Firestick, and Chromecast to push 160mhz either. It just doesn't make sense at this point.
This will mean the Intel AX200/201 is kinda like a black sheep and probably only exists for the sake of early adoption.
160mhz will likely end up being a thing heavily dedicated to 6E.
Edit: 2.4G AX is a significant upgrade over 2.4G N. Pretty much doubles or triples the potential bandwidth, but like I said in the above post, it lacks clients currently..
tl;dr A good "high end" AC wave 2 router doesn't need an upgrade yet, but there
is validity when it comes to AX routers.
I think it really depends on price and whats offered.
I would buy a high end 4x4 AC wave 2 router over a 160mhz 2x2 AX router at the same price point.