If surface area were to be the only consideration, the SOT-223 and the WSON would be packages of choice today. This is particularly true in handheld applications where PCB space is a common concern. For these types of applications, the LM1117-N in the WSON package and the LM317A in the SOT-223 package are of interest. Of note is that ThetaJA for the SOT-223 package can be reduced to approximately 55°C/W by taking proper precautions in PCB design. This is further explained in the section on heat sinks in the LM317A datasheet.