An updated version of the Android Market app – in preparation for the forthcoming Ice Cream Sandwich Android upgrade – is being pushed out to handsets, reports Android Police.

There are several new settings on the 3.3.11 version of the app, including automatic updating of apps and the ability to set updates so they only take place over Wi-Fi, reducing battery and mobile data use. The new app also has a setting to automatically add app shortcuts to device homescreens.

Other new features reported by Android Police include a smaller font, a new app drawer icon, voice command functionality for the search menu, a star rating chart on app pages and minor tweaks to the user interface.

According to The Mobile Indian, the new app only works on Android 2.2 and with users being notified when the update becomes available in their region. Other reports suggest the update doesn’t work perfectly on Honeycomb tablets due to a number of glitches.