FormatDrop
Video Format

3G2

3GPP2 Multimedia File

3G2 (3GPP2) is a video container format developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) for CDMA mobile phones — specifically Verizon and Sprint devices in the US and KDDI in Japan. It's the CDMA counterpart to 3GP, which was used by GSM phones. Like 3GP, 3G2 was designed for the bandwidth limitations of early 3G networks. It's now obsolete, replaced by MP4 on all modern smartphones, but you may encounter 3G2 files from old phone recordings.

What is 3G2?

3G2 is based on the MP4 container format (ISO Base Media File Format), so it's structurally similar to MP4. It typically contains H.263 or MPEG-4 Part 2 video at low resolutions (176×144 to 320×240) and AMR or AAC audio. The format was optimised for transmission over 3G cellular networks — small file sizes, low resolution, and fast seek capability. Modern phones no longer record in 3G2; all smartphones now use MP4 with H.264 or H.265.

3G2 pros and cons

Advantages

  • Very small file sizes — designed for bandwidth-constrained networks
  • Structurally similar to MP4, so broadly compatible with media players
  • VLC, FFmpeg, and most conversion tools handle 3G2 natively
  • Can contain multiple audio tracks and subtitles

Limitations

  • Very low resolution (typically 176×144 to 320×240 pixels)
  • Low video quality — H.263 and old MPEG-4 codecs are inefficient
  • Obsolete — no modern device records in 3G2
  • Limited software support compared to MP4 or MKV
  • Cannot be embedded in web pages without conversion
  • No support for HD or modern codec standards

When should you convert 3G2 files?

Convert 3G2 to MP4 for virtually all use cases — MP4 is universally supported, and the quality of the original 3G2 video will be the limiting factor, not the container. Convert 3G2 to MP4 using FFmpeg: `ffmpeg -i input.3g2 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac output.mp4`. Since 3G2 videos are typically very low resolution (176×144), upscaling doesn't improve quality — keep the original resolution or scale to a standard small size like 480p. Converting 3G2 to AVI or WMV offers no advantage; always target MP4 for maximum compatibility.

Convert 3G2 files

VIDEO-CONVERTER→

All FormatDrop conversions run entirely in your browser — no file upload, no server processing. Your files stay on your device.

3G2 FAQ

How do I open a 3G2 file?
VLC Media Player opens 3G2 files natively on all platforms. On Windows, Windows Media Player may open 3G2 if the relevant codec is installed. QuickTime on older macOS can open 3G2. For iPhone/Android playback, transfer the file and use VLC or convert to MP4 first. Most modern media players support 3G2 since it's structurally close to MP4.
How do I convert 3G2 to MP4?
FFmpeg: `ffmpeg -i input.3g2 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4`. HandBrake also imports 3G2 files. Online converters handle 3G2 to MP4 without software installation. Since 3G2 videos are typically small (low resolution), conversion is fast and the output MP4 will also be small.
What phones used 3G2?
3G2 was primarily used by CDMA phones on Verizon and Sprint networks in the US (2002–2012), and KDDI (au) phones in Japan. Motorola, Samsung, and LG CDMA devices commonly recorded in 3G2. GSM phones (AT&T, T-Mobile, international) used the related 3GP format instead. Both formats became obsolete around 2013 when smartphones universally adopted MP4.
Is 3G2 the same as 3GP?
Similar but different. 3GP was developed by 3GPP (GSM Partnership Project) for GSM phones; 3G2 was developed by 3GPP2 (CDMA Partnership Project) for CDMA phones. Both are based on MP4, both have similar low resolutions, and both are now obsolete. 3G2 supports a slightly different set of codecs (including EVRC voice codec used in CDMA) and has some structural differences, but for practical conversion purposes they're interchangeable.

More formats

HEICWebPAVIFEPUBWebMOpusMP3WAVM4AFLACAACMP4AVIMKVMOVJPGPNGGIFSVGTIFFICOBMPEPSARWOGGWMVPPTXPagesPDFDOCXRAWHEVCH.264AIFFM4VWMA3GPDNGRTFPSDOGVTSFLVAIXLSXCSVZIPAPNGMIDIJPEG XLMPG/MPEGVOBM2TSAC3ALACDTSJP2HEIFAPECBZSRTDOCPPTXLSODTODSM3URAR7ZM4BAMRTXTMOBITARGZJSONXMLYAMLKEYMTSCR2NEFMXFTGACAFASSVTTDSFRMF4VWVASFRMVBORFRW2EAC-3TTA