Zac Hall, 9to5Mac:

New AirPods pair just as easily as the originals which still feels neat. Upgraders will probably want to rename the new AirPods though. My original AirPods were called ‘Zac’s AirPods’ so the new AirPods defaulted to ‘Zac’s AirPods #2’ since the new ones were paired before the old ones were removed.

I removed the original AirPods from my Bluetooth device list, then dropped the #2 from the new AirPods.

In my experience (colored by a run down battery, no doubt), the new AirPods paired much more quickly and consistently than Gen 1.

As to renaming, I went through the same process Zac did, but added Gen2 to my new ones to keep both around, each with a distinct name. Why? I know I will use the old ones at some point and want to avoid the name collision.

“Hey Siri” support is the most noticeable new feature of second-gen AirPods for upgraders. Activating Siri before required a double-tap on an AirPod or using Hey Siri on a paired device. Activating Siri with a voice command on AirPods is really natural and fast.

And:

“Hey Siri” on new AirPods even works with the Apple Watch when you’re away from your iPhone as long as there’s a network connection (like Wi-Fi or LTE). I’ve been testing this with indoor and outdoor runs and I’m hooked.

And:

Being in motion and activating Siri with a voice command without breaking your stride or worrying about where your wrist is positioned is just one less point of friction.

Hey Siri on AirPods is a home run feature for me. That, snappier connects, and way longer talk time made the new AirPods well worth the cost of admission.

Side note: AirPower or not, I am happy to have the charging case. Plenty of Qi options to choose from.