Hi,
I think the smoke is a give away that the starter is going bad. It takes a lot of energy to turn the flywheel so that the car will start.
It's like when you're drilling something and the bit gets stuck. The drill wants to keep turning but it can't. Then it gets hot, then it starts smoking.

Some advice: When you buy a new starter, don't cheap out, buy a good name brand like BOSCH.