Yena, born Choi Ye-na, first rose to fame as a member of the project group IZ*ONE before launching a solo career. Smartphone was released in 2022 as the title track of her second mini album of the same name, continuing her bright, playful solo image. The song's phone theme and colourful styling made its chorus easy to excerpt for short-form video. Since then the hook has circulated among K-pop fans in edits and dance-related posts, remaining a recognisable snippet of her early solo work.