.3gp File — 3GPP Multimedia File

3GP is a multimedia container format defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for use on 3G mobile networks and devices. Designed for the bandwidth constraints of early mobile internet, 3GP files contain video encoded with H.263 or MPEG-4 Part 2 and audio encoded with AMR or AAC at low bitrates. The format is based on the ISO base media file format (like MP4) but optimized for small file sizes and low processing requirements suitable for feature phones and early smartphones with limited hardware capabilities. 3GP was the standard multimedia format for MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) and mobile video recording on Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and other feature phones throughout the 2000s. Video resolution was typically QCIF (176x144) or CIF (352x288) to accommodate small screens and limited storage. While smartphones have since moved to MP4 with H.264/H.265, 3GP files remain common in archives of mobile recordings from the feature phone era. The format is still used in some markets where older devices remain prevalent.