Samsung's new phone with a curved screen is absolutely gorgeous, but there's one problem

Samsung is getting ready to release its most important phone yet: the Galaxy S6. The company needs this phone to be a hit - its profits have been falling and other smartphone makers like hot Chinese startup Xiaomi have been making the competition even more tough.

One way Samsung seeks to differentiate its smartphones from the its rivals is through its curved screen technology. The sibling phone to its Galaxy S6, called the Galaxy S6 Edge, is the best incarnation we've seen of Samsung's curved screens yet. The company launched the Galaxy Round back in 2013 to a limited market, but it didn't look very nice or seem practical.

Then, Samsung tried again with its Galaxy Note Edge this past fall. It looks just like the Galaxy Note 4, but with one curved side that displays notifications, the time, and other information completely independently of your phone's main screen. The idea is that you would be able to see notifications without interrupting what you're already doing. But, the incremental improvement wasn't worth the higher price tag.

But Samsung's newest attempt, the Galaxy S6 Edge, is a stunningly gorgeous phone. It comes with two curved edges instead of one, which makes rounded sides look more symmetrical and subtle. It seems like Samsung has finally learned how to make the curved smartphone.

I loved using the phone in the week that I've been reviewing it, but there's one problem: the price is too high. The phone, which launches on April 10, will vary in cost depending on the carrier. Verizon has the full price without a contract listed as $700, while AT&T is selling it for $815. The Galaxy S6, by comparison, starts at around $650 unsubsidized.

That's a giant price jump for something that's more of a preference than a necessity. Regardless, it's one of the best phones Samsung has ever made. Here's what it was like to use it.

Using it

The Galaxy Note Edge is Samsung's most elegant and premium phone to date, and part of that is due to its subtle curves. The Galaxy S6 edge, like the standard S6, comes with a completely new design made of metal and glass. The back of the phone is covered in smooth glass, making the phone feel similar to the iPhone 4/4s except its a lot thinner, lighter, and larger.

The curved edges actually make the phone look a bit sleeker than the regular Galaxy S6 since the screen bleeds over the side of the device, making it seem thinner.

Simply put, the curved edges are a nice touch. Samsung took something that looked a bit awkward on its previous phones and made it into something that's actually pretty.

The screen on the Galaxy S6 Edge is sharp, colorful, and vibrant. It has a resolution of 2560 x 1440, which means it packs 577 pixels per inch. The iPhone 6, by comparison, has a 1334 x 750 resolution screen with 326 pixels per inch and the HTC One M9 features a 1080p screen. This means that on paper, Samsung's phone should have the sharpest screen.

The biggest difference between the iPhone 6's screen and the Galaxy S6 Edge's screen in everyday use is in the way they display colors. On the S6, colors are bolder and brighter. The iPhone 6, however, had better contrast. When watching the trailer for upcoming season of "Game of Thrones," the blue color of the water popped more on the S6 than the iPhone.

However, the actual people in the photo were clearer on the iPhone 6 since their white outfits were more distinguishable against their dark surroundings. I preferred both the Galaxy S6 Edge and iPhone 6's displays to that of the HTC One, which was detailed but not quite as colorful as either of its competitors.

The fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge has also been greatly improved. It's just as easy to use as the fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 6 - simply rest your finger on the home button and the phone unlocks almost instantly. It's a great step up from the S5, which required you to swipe your finger over the home button.

The edge and its features

While I love how the curved screen on the S6 Edge looks, it doesn't really add any benefit other than aesthetics to the phone. There are a few things it can do that the regular S6 can't - it shows the time even when the display is off, it lights up different colors depending on who's calling you, and it lets you add a little People shortcut to your five most important contacts.

Of these features, I found the Night Clock to be the most useful. When resting the phone on my nightstand, I didn't have to pick up my phone or tap the display to see what time it was, which was incredibly helpful. I enjoyed having my phone light up in different colors when friends would call, but that feature didn't seem as practical.

Let me be clear here - if you're going to pay the extra money for the Edge rather than the regular S6, it's going to be for its looks. The sheer functionality is not worth the extra $100, it's all about whether you're willing to pay extra for something that you may think looks nicer.

Camera and battery life

Samsung has made some excellent improvements to the camera on the Galaxy S6. The company says it's able to take better photos in darker circumstances and it can track objects as they move. Here's how the Galaxy S6 Edge's camera stacks up against the iPhone 6 Plus and the HTC One M9:

In general, I found that the Galaxy S6 Edge's camera produced bolder colors than both other iPhones. The iPhone's camera captured the most detail in the photos of the bananas below, and the coloring is probably the most accurate. The photo taken with the HTC One M9 seems overexposed.

Galaxy S6 Edge

iPhone 6 Plus

HTC One M9

The Galaxy S6 Edge lasted for about a full day on a single charge with moderate usage. If you're using the phone heavily, like for streaming video for extended periods of time, I'd imagine you'd probably get 3/4 of a day. For my testing, I used the phone occasionally throughout the day with the screen brightness set halfway. Throughout the day I streamed video in 10 minute chunks.

Should you buy it?

The Galaxy S6 Edge is an excellent phone. In fact, I think it's the best phone Samsung has made so far. But it's hard to justify the high price tag. It's priced the same as a phablet - i.e. a phone with a large screen like the iPhone 6 Plus or Galaxy Note 4. The curved screen is gorgeous, the camera is great, and the software is much simpler and easier to navigate than Samsung's previous phones. Samsung has finally perfected the curved screen smartphone, now the question is whether or not customers will be willing to fork over the extra cash for it.