How do MOV and 3GPcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
QuickTime Movie
MOV is Apple's video format, native to macOS and iOS. iPhones record video in MOV format by default. It supports high quality and professional features but works best within the Apple ecosystem.
3rd Generation Partnership Project
3GP is a video format designed for 3G mobile phones. While modern smartphones use MP4, 3GP is still used in feature phones and developing markets where bandwidth and storage are limited.
| Specification | MOV | 3GP |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | QuickTime Movie | 3rd Generation Partnership Project |
| Extension | .mov | .3gp |
| MIME type | video/quicktime | video/3gpp |
| Category | Video | Video |
| Developer | Apple | 3rd Generation Partnership Project |
| Year introduced | 1991 | 2003 |
MOV and 3GP target different use cases. MOV is ideal for iphone and ipad video recording, while 3GP works best for feature phone video playback.
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