OK... so here we are today.
Yesterday I received replacement AirPods from the Apple Store and instantly had the same exact issues with the new AirPods. The biggest issue that could be replicated was once the Apple Watch took control of the AirPods, the iPhone couldn't get it back. So. Siri wouldn't work and any tones from the iPhone wouldn't play unless you started playing music or audio book.
First off, while I was working with the Apple folks on this... I learned that many of them are having issues too.
Anyway, after not being able to get the new AirPods to work the way they were supposed to... they recommended I back up my phone and watch, reset both, restore and then re-pair the AirPods. So, not wanting to leave the store, I grabbed my laptop... did everything they said and started putting everrything back together.
Much to my amazement, when I was done... everything worked as described. I would hear all audio out of the phone when the screen was on. When it would lock, I would hear the audio from my Watch come in the AirPod. I called myself from a soft phone on another computer and everything seemed great.
Thinking everything was good... I went out to my car with a huge smile on my face. While still in the parking lot, I added my credit cards back to the wallet and left. 10 minutes later, I received a phone call and answered It with a double tap. 10 minutes into the call... the AirPods failed and the call defaulted back to the iPhone's audio.
Continuing to troubleshoot, I've learned that... in it's current state, audio won't transfer to the Watch unless we are on WiFi. Still, once it does, it won't go back to the iPhone.
Calling Apple again this morning to give them the update. The really strange thing is... it worked for a while, then something happened to break it.
I LOVE these things and really wish they would just work right.
Again, for the record... 6S+, 10.2, 128GB... Watch, series 1, 3.1.1