We start our examination with these curious markings on the boxes. We're seeing multiple references to something called "AirPower" ... ?

Next we X-ray the box to confirm if it's safe to open. Oh, who are we kidding—we're opening it regardless. Safety third, we always say.

While you may not think of two-year-old products as ancient, reports say these first-gen AirPods (left) are aging fast.

The new case (right) looks shinier, but that might just be due to wear on the Gen 1.

We also note a relocated pairing button, and a newly placed external LED charging indicator.