Video Format Comparison

3GP vs 3G2 — GSM Mobile Video vs CDMA Mobile Video

3GP and 3G2 are mobile phone video formats from the early-2000s 3G era. 3GP came from the 3GPP standards body (GSM/UMTS networks — most of the world). 3G2 came from 3GPP2 (CDMA networks — primarily North America, dominated by Verizon and Sprint). Technically they're nearly identical, designed to be interchangeable.

3GPvs3G2

Quick Verdict

Use 3GP when…

Use 3GP for any modern need — it's the more widely supported variant and the only one that matters in 2026 outside of legacy CDMA archives.

Use 3G2 when…

3G2 is purely legacy at this point. CDMA networks were shut down in the US by 2024, ending the format's main use case.

3GP vs 3G2: Feature Comparison

Feature	3GP	3G2
Network origin	3GPP (GSM/UMTS)	3GPP2 (CDMA)
Geographic dominance	Worldwide (Europe, Asia, Africa)	North America (CDMA carriers)
Video codecs	H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264	H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264
Audio codecs	AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC	AMR-NB, QCELP (CDMA-specific), AAC
MMS support	GSM/UMTS mobile networks	CDMA mobile networks
Modern relevance	Legacy but extant	Effectively dead (CDMA shutdown)

When 3GP wins

✓Network origin: 3GPP (GSM/UMTS)
✓Geographic dominance: Worldwide (Europe, Asia, Africa)
✓Video codecs: H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264

When 3G2 wins

✓Network origin: 3GPP2 (CDMA)
✓Geographic dominance: North America (CDMA carriers)
✓Video codecs: H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264

Frequently asked questions

Will my phone play 3G2?

Modern smartphones (iOS, Android) play 3G2 via VLC or compatible apps because the underlying codecs (H.263, AAC) are still standard. Native MMS support for 3G2 is gone with CDMA networks. Convert to MP4 for guaranteed compatibility.

How do I convert 3G2 to MP4?

FFmpeg: `ffmpeg -i input.3g2 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac output.mp4`. If the audio is QCELP (CDMA-specific), FFmpeg may not decode it — you'd need a specialized QCELP decoder, which is rare.