Image MIME Reference
JPEG-2000
JPEG 2000 Core Image File
image/jp2
VS
Wireless Bitmap
image/vnd.wap.wbmp
WBMP
A complete technical comparison of JPEG 2000 Core Image File and Wireless Bitmap — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
JPEG-2000 wins on browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | JPEG-2000 | WBMP |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | Yes | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | Yes | ✕ No |
| EXIF Metadata | Yes | ✕ No |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | ✕ No |
JPEG 2000 Core Image File
image/jp2
Extension
.jp2.j2k.jpf.jpx.jpm
Container
JP2 (ISO/IEC 15444-1)
Compression
Lossy / Lossless
Algorithm
Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT)
Color Depth
8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 38-bit
Developed by
Joint Photographic Experts Group
Released
2000
Magic Bytes
00 00 00 0C 6A 50 20 20 0D 0A 87 0A
Wireless Bitmap
image/vnd.wap.wbmp
Extension
.wbmp
Container
WBMP Type 0
Compression
Uncompressed
Algorithm
None
Color Depth
1-bit (Monochrome)
Developed by
WAP Forum (Now Open Mobile Alliance)
Released
1999
Magic Bytes
00 00
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | JPEG-2000 | WBMP |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✓ 5+
|
✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
JPEG-2000
JPEG-2000 Strengths
- Superior compression efficiency over baseline JPEG without introducing blocking artifacts
- True mathematically lossless compression available in the same format
- Extremely scalable: a single file can be decoded at various resolutions (thumbnails to full size) without loading the entire file
Limitations
- Very poor native web browser support prevents it from being a web standard
- High computational complexity makes encoding and decoding significantly slower than JPEG
- Early patent concerns and complex licensing hindered its initial adoption rate
WBMP
WBMP Strengths
- Extremely low processing overhead made it perfectly suited for the ultra-low-power CPUs of late 1990s mobile devices
- Tightly integrated into the WML (Wireless Markup Language) stack, enabling the first functional mobile internet experiences
Limitations
- Completely obsolete and lacks support in modern operating systems and browsers
- Limited entirely to 1-bit black and white (0 for black, 1 for white) with zero support for grayscale, color, or transparency
- The lack of a strong file header signature makes automated MIME type detection highly unreliable
When to choose which format
JPEG-2000
Use JPEG-2000 when…
- Digital Cinema (DCP)
- Medical Imaging (DICOM)
- Geospatial Data
- Archival Preservation
WBMP
Use WBMP when…
- Legacy WML (Wireless Markup Language) Mobile Sites
- Early Mobile Phone Icons and Operator Logos
- Historical WAP Archival